The Bono Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) Heroin S. Boakye, has said the region recorded 332 cases of fire outbreaks, with five injuries and no death in 2020 as against 265 in 2019, with 10 injuries and three deaths.
The Fire Commander said domestic and bush fire cases were the highest, with 114 each, commercial 41, vehicle 36, electric 15, institution seven and industrial four.
DCFO Boakye added that the Regional Fire Command attended to 28 cases, saying two persons died, while five sustained different degrees.
DCFO Boakye said the Command attended to 29 road traffic accidents that resulted in the death of 8 people and injuries to 114.
FIRE VOLUNTEERS
She, therefore, appealed to the public to voluntarily join fire volunteer groups to help in the fight against fire disasters in their communities.
Making the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani, DCFO Boakye said: “People are reluctant in joining the fire volunteer groups for lack of motivation.”
According to the Fire Commander, those recruited are being trained on how to fight fires in their communities to save lives and properties.
DCFO Boakye gave the assurance that the Regional Fire Command would continue to use local radio stations to sensitise the public about the dangers of bushfires and how they could contribute to reducing the danger.
She entreated the public to be extra cautious during the current dry season, because any spark of fire could cause serious and tragic incidents in any community.
She appealed to non-governmental organisations, Municipal and District Assemblies and their respective, and directorates of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and agriculture institutions to support the concept of fire volunteers in preventing fire outbreaks, and associated disasters.
The Bono Regional Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Divisional Officer III Ruth Mensah Tandoh, said because of the rate of market fire outbreaks in some regions recently, fire teams are always on patrol in the nights to ensure rapid response to quell any fire outbreak in the communities.
DOIII Tandoh said another fire team of men and women also visit the markets during day time to monitor situations for prompt actions.
In February last year, more than 170 farmlands were destroyed by bushfires in the Bono East Region, posing a threat to the government’s flagship agricultural programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJs) and Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD).
In addition, the bushfires burnt an unspecified number of houses and beehives belonging to some farmers in the region.
This came to light at the launch of the regional bushfire prevention campaign and inauguration of fire volunteer squads at Atebubu in the Atebubu-Amanten District.
The GNFS said the fire incidents were recorded between December 2019 and February 2020 and called for the re-tooling and resourcing of the various rural fire departments of the service and fire volunteers to reduce fire outbreaks in the region.
BUSHFIRE LAWS
The GNFS explained that any person who fell foul of bushfire laws would be liable, on conviction, to a fine or term of imprisonment and appealed to the public to desist from interfering in the administration of justice when one was caught by the law, as it defeated the goal of protecting the environment and human lives.
The GNFS said the laws were meant to be enforced without fear or favour or undue interference from any person or institutions.
The post Bono Region records 332 fire cases in 2020 appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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