By Ni-ematu Abdulai
Wa, (UW/R), Aug. 14, GNA – The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) says the Upper West Region recorded 93 fire and emergency incidents in the first half of 2025 compared to 115 incidents within the same period of 2024, representing about 19 per cent decline.
ADO I Mr Iddrisu Imran, the Wa Municipal Fire Officer, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in relation to a recent fire outbreak that destroyed a printing press in Wa.
He urged members of the public to see fire prevention and fighting as a collective responsibility.
“The Ghana National Fire Service is ever ready to respond, but the public must also play their part in preventing it from occurring in the first place”, he explained.
Mr Imran blamed the rampant fire cases in the Municipality and, to some extent, the region of negligence and improper electrical wiring, among others.
He entreated members of the public to take fire preventive measures such as following fire safety protocols, keeping Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders away from children, clearing bushes and conducting regular household safety checks, very seriously.
The Municipal Fire Officer also encouraged members of the public to keep emergency contact numbers of the GNFS to promptly report fire incidents to the Services for swift response.
On preparedness, Mr Imran explained that fire crews conducted routine checks on engines, logistics, and water levels before and after shifts.
He stated that in case of difficulty in accessing fire centres to fight the fire their break-in tools were used to have access to fight the fire.
Mr Imran indicated that though the GNFS was prepared to respond swiftly to fire cases, it was faced with many setbacks including prank calls, inaccurate location descriptions during emergencies, poor road networks, and inaccessible routes due to settlement layouts.
He, therefore, cautioned the public against public interfering in firefighters’ efforts saying, “Sometimes people try to take over hoses from our personnel in an attempt to help, which is dangerous and can slow down our work.”
Mr Imran appealed to the public and the fire officers to work in synergy to help reduce the rising trend of fire outbreaks in the Municipality and the region as a whole.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Christian Akorlie