By Rosemary Wayo
Tamale, August 25, GNA – Assistant Chief Fire Officer Grade One (ACFO I) Mr James Ankrah, Northern Regional Fire Officer, has said the urgency of fire and safety issues in the country demands multi-sectorial approach to ensure the safety of the citizenry and property.
He called on members of the public to aid the improvement of safety practices to measure up to required standards and global practices.
Mr Ankrah made the call in Tamale while engaging selected District Assembly Technical Committee members in the region.
The engagement was organised by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNAFS) to deliberate on the GNFS’ function of providing technical advice on building plans regarding machineries and structural layouts to facilitate escape from fire, rescue operations and fire management.
Participants were sensitised on technical advice provided by the GNFS on buildings as well as the Service’s role during design and construction phases of buildings.
Mr Ankrah said “We must all stop temptation to cut corners, lower standards and compromise safety, which will ultimately put the safety of the good people of Ghana at jeopardy.”
Divisional Officer Grade One (DOI), Hajia Jemima Musa, Northern Regional Fire Safety Inspector, urged the District Officers to inspect building plans to ensure that they had alternative exits to facilitate rescue operations.
She said it was important to mandate the provision of parking lots for buildings to prevent indiscriminate parking along the road, adding that parking along roads obstructed the movement of fire tenders during emergency.
GNA