A fire fighting demo in session during the event
The Chief Fire Officer Dr. Albert Brown-Gaisie has re-echoed the need to appreciate and understand fire safety and observe necessary precautions to mitigate fire outbreaks in the country.
Speaking at the launch of the Home Fire Safety Certification Project in Cape Coast, Dr. Brown-Gaisie urged citizens to welcome fire officers who would be deployed to educate households on fire safety and precautionary measures.
The Ghana National Fire Service in August 2016 launched the nationwide Home Fire Safety Certification project to ensure that all home owners and individuals obtain fire certificates for their places of abode.
The Chief Fire Officer, Dr Albert Brown-Gaisie mentioned that most household fires are as a result of nonconformity to fire safety precautions.
He mentioned negligence, carelessness and ignorance as the underlying factors leading to domestic fires in Ghana, hence the need for massive awareness creation across the country.
Touching on the Home Fire Safety Certification Project, Dr Gaisie said personnel of the service, as well as members of the community fire protection assistants (CFPAs), would go round households to educate occupants on fire safety and precautionary measures to be taken in case there was an outbreak of fire on their premises.
ACFO Fanny Simpson, Central Regional Fire Officer explained that in collaboration with its partners, the project will provide every home with one fire extinguisher as well as a smoke detector.
She indicated that the Home Fire Safety Certification Project is to improve fire safety concerns of various homes through fire safety education, inspection and training.
The Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, DO Prince Billy-Anaglate said with the project, fire officers include risk assessment of homes to determine hazards and recommend mitigation factors.
He explained that the service in recent years intensified public fire safety education to inculcate a culture of safety in the general public.
He indicated that out of 243 fires reported in the Western Region in 2014, 107 occurred in homes representing 44%.
In 2015, a total of 401 fire incidents were reported in the Western Region out of which 161 fires were domestic with 20 persons suffering injuries and 7 deaths.
In the first quarter of 2016, 375 fires had been recorded with 104 being domestic fires.
ACFO Dwamena stressed that these statistics highlight the need to intensify public education on fire safety and prevention.