Ag. Chief Fire Officer expresses worry over increasing false calls

Brigadier General John Bosco Emawin Guyiri, Acting Chief Fire Officer, has expressed worry about the increasing number of false calls that are made to the service on daily basis.

He said about 200 of such calls are being received daily in Accra alone, which is making it difficult for people who are in genuine need of services to get through to the office emergency lines because it is most times engaged with the false calls.

He advised the public to desist from misusing all emergency lines in the country saying, “Your relative could be in need of an emergency service at the time you have aimlessly engaged the line”.

Brig. Gen. Guyiri was speaking at the closing ceremony of a Nine Week Fire Safety Inspectors Course in Accra, on Friday.

The course, which brought together about 20 Senior Officers from the Greater Accra Region was aimed at enhancing the capacity of Safety Officers.

Brig. Gen. Guyiri said over the years, the Fire Service had come under intensive criticism from the public for the lack of resources to perform their duties diligently.

In line with this, he said, government had boosted the service with a new fleet of fire tenders, water tankers, double-cabin pick up vehicles, personal protective equipment, as well as other logistics for operative firefighting.

He said with these, the service would be able to perform its responsibility of saving lives and property, adding that, “we cannot be better prepared without training aimed at improving our skills”.

He noted that one priority of the Fire Service was to intensify its mass education programme on fire safety and enhance capacity in issuing of fire certificates.

“It is indeed an advantage that you are training and the coming in of the new pick-ups should facilitate a more robust customer care approach, to ensure human and material safety by reducing the fire outbreaks as well as generate revenue for government,” he added.

He urged the participant to uphold the culture of discipline during their duties to help save lives and properties.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Ebenezer Simpson, Acting Director of Safety, entreated all participants to be committed to the provisions made in Section eight (8) of LI 1724 Fire Precaution (Premises) Regulation 2003 in respect of power to inspect premises.

He urged them to be diligent, to meet the demands of their new designation as Fire Safety Inspectors.**