The government has equipped the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) with 80 fire tenders in its determined effort at reducing and avoiding the loss of lives and destruction of properties costing millions of cedis through fire outbreaks.

The current addition will augment the 131 units of fire tenders imported from the United States of America and 21 from Belgium totalling 152 when the Mills administration took power in 2009.

Speaking to The Republic, the Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Prince Billy Anaglatey disclosed that the new 80 fire tenders imported from India will go a long in augmenting the current total of 164 units operating across the country.

He was, however, quick to add that his outfit needed more fire tenders and other equipment to be able to effectively fight fire.

"It is not sufficient taking into consideration some fire stations without tenders and newly developed and developing areas that need to be covered. Ideally we need to have one fire station or two in every community depending on the size and nature of hazards within the community. But that is not the issue on the ground. A fire tender is covering about three to four communities, this has sometimes accounted for delays in getting to the fire ground. We need more fire tenders to cover both existing fire stations and new ones constructed to augment the existing ones. Aero fire engines will go a long way to assist fire fighting due to lack of accessibility in some of our communities and in our markets. We need rapid intervention vehicles and motor bikes to serve as first responders," he said.

Mr Anaglatey disclosed that as at July this year,Ghana has recorded a total of 2859 fire outbreaks consisting of 1173 domestic, 66 industrial, 384 vehicular, 72 institutional, 349 electrical, 353 commercial, 192 bush and 272 others with the Great Accra Region topping the regions with 603 cases and Volta Region recording the lowest of 88.

He added that the GNFS in its determined efforts to preventing fire outbreaks, continues to beef up the number of safety officers who go round inspecting premises and also educating people on fire safety issues.

In furtherance of this,he said his outfit is training fire volunteers in communities across the country and liaising with organised associations in the communities to give out volunteers to be trained into fire wardens who would serve as first line of attacking fires before the Fire Service arrives.

"We are patrolling the markets and prosecuting people who violate the safety regulations LI 1724 Fire Precaution Premises Regulations of 2003 which makes it compulsory for commercial premises, institutions and others to have a fire certificate," he said.

On the issue of insufficient fire hydrants in Accra and other cities across the country, Mr.Anaglatey told The Republic that there is little collaboration between the GNFS and Ghana Water Company which is ineffective because instead of the latter installing more hydrants to work ,they "rather go round ceiling them."

According to Mr. Anaglatey, the fire hydrant situation in Accra is very bad to the extent that in fighting fire in areas such as Madina and its environs, firemen have to go all the way to Makola or Cantonment to replenish.

The situation, to him, has led to firemen being accused severally of going to the fire ground without water just because there is no water to fight the fire.

When The Republic ask him on the way forward to addressing the situation ,he said :"We(GNFS) continue to appeal to them(GWCL) to understand the importance of the availability of hydrants and also remind them that the 1 per cent water bill paid by consumers are to be used for installation and maintenance of the hydrants. We always call stakeholders meeting where this is spelt out to them"...