Firefighting challenges in Ghana: Just resourcing and motivating fire fighters
In the recent past, Ghana has experienced devastating fire outbreaks, which have destroyed many properties and cost several millions of Ghana cedis.
The most recent one that has generated a lot of controversy and also exposed the Ghana National Fire Services and the country, for that matter, in terms of fire fighting and control, is the one that occurred at Adum in Kumasi.
A devastating fire broke out at dawn in Axim-Brewie, located in the Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region, resulting in the deaths of six individuals and leaving three others injured.
The victims, believed to be children aged between five and ten years, tragically lost their lives in the blaze. The fire also caused significant property damage, with losses estimated to be worth several thousand Ghana Cedis.
Several rooms were destroyed early this year by a fire outbreak in Accra Newtown near the Mallam Atta Market.
Many Ghanaians remember the huge loss at the Kantamato market in January. In January this year, a fire destroyed a significant portion of the market, displacing hundreds of traders and destroying several millions of cedis. In all fire disasters, there is a loss of either property or human life or both. Such has happened over and over again, but we have not learnt any lessons from these as a nation.
There are several reasons for fire outbreaks and the spread of it. Statistics available indicate that most of these are human factors. For instance, the Ashanti Regional Fire Commander ACFO II Peter Tetteh is on record as saying that the rapid spread of the fire at Adum market was due to the congested nature of the area, which made it difficult for firefighters to access the burning shops.
It is also a common knowledge which was alluded to by the President, John Mahama when he visited the scene that most traders at our markets do cook at such places.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has reported an upward trend in fire incidents over recent years. In 2023, there were 5,973 fire incidents recorded. This was increased in 2024 to 6,436 fire incidents, representing a 7.75 per cent increase from the previous year.
In the first four months of 2024, the GNFS responded to 2,764 fire incidents, up from 2,683 during the same period in 2023. Within the two years, the service dealt with 176 road traffic accidents, 747 injuries and 92 deaths.
Regional data for 2024 indicates that the Greater Accra Region had the highest number of fire incidents, followed by the Ashanti and Eastern regions.
The financial impact of these fires was significant, with the cost of damages rising from GH¢177,939,898.20 in 2023 to GH¢270,352,100.00 in 2024, representing a 51.9 per cent increase.
Amist these, the Service faces several challenges, including, inadequate equipment and logistics – Many fire stations lack modern firefighting trucks, protective gear, and essential tools for effective operations.
The GNFS faces several logistics challenges that affect its effectiveness. This has persisted over the years, but successive governments see the police and the army as the priority and not the Fire Service. Inadequate firefighting equipment persists at all levels of the service. Many fire stations lack modern and well-maintained fire trucks. Some existing trucks and fire tenders are old and frequently break down.
Staff have very limited access to specialised equipment like aerial ladders for fighting fires in high-rise buildings. Across the country, there is one aerial firefighting ladder.
Fire stations are not even adequate. Many communities, especially in rural areas, do not have fire stations nearby, leading to delays in response time and the risk of quick spread of fire outbreaks. For instance, general guidelines and international best practices suggest fire stations should be within three to five kilometres (two to three miles) of each other to ensure a response time of five to seven minutes. Fire stations should be five to eight kilometres apart, with a response time of seven to 10 minutes, while in the rural areas fire stations may be eight to 15 kilometres apart, but response times may exceed 10 minutes, depending on road conditions and accessibility.
In Ghana, due to logistical and resource constraints, fire stations are often spaced farther apart than recommended, leading to delays in emergency response. Expanding the network of fire stations could significantly improve firefighting efficiency. For instance, fire stations are in some cases found more than 20 kilometres apart. Such as the Abelempke and Amasamang fire stations. These two stations in the city of Accra cover over 30 kilometres of radios spanning to Ablekuma, Kwabenya and Pantang areas.
For logistics, the least said about it, the better, as of November 2024, the GNFS had a total of 248 fire engines. Some of which have been in service for over 15 years. However, 133 of these were either faulty or out of commission, representing 53.6 per cent of the fleet. Ironically, the rapid expansion of urban areas has not been matched with a corresponding increase in fire stations.
There is poor regard for fire hydrants. Most Ghanaians do not know the importance of fire hydrants and, in some cases, use them as refuse dumps. Many fire hydrants in urban areas are non-functional or not properly maintained. New residential and commercial developments often lack hydrants, making firefighting more difficult.
The service is reported to be experiencing poor communication systems. Outdated or unreliable communication devices can hinder coordination during fire emergencies. In some cases, firefighters struggle to communicate with other emergency services due to incompatible systems.
There is also very limited ambulance and rescue equipment. The Fire Service personnel are sometimes the first responders to road accidents but lack proper extrication tools to rescue victims trapped in vehicles. Limited access to emergency medical equipment for providing first aid at fire scenes.
All these are chiefly due to insufficient budget allocation affecting fleet expansion, training, and equipment upgrades.
It was sad to learn that firefighters in the country have no insurance. Let us provide them with the requisite logistics and motivate them as successive governments have done for the police and, sadly, leaving out the fire service.
Fire is more dangerous than armed robbery, but we resource the police and woefully leave out the fire service. We can count all fire tenders in the country at the tip of our fingers, and about 50 per cent of them are not in good condition.
Touch wood: Fire will continue to destroy our communities if we don’t do the right things. Let us put an end to the reactive response and act proactively. Let us employ and train more fire fighting professionals, let us build more fire stations, let us resource the system, and motivate them.
“Firefighters are not just heroes because they run into burning buildings; they are heroes because they stand ready to do so at any moment, without hesitation, to save lives.”
BY NANA SIFA TWUM (PHD)
