The Ashanti-Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has disclosed that there are only 23 fire tenders serving the entire region.
He said eight out of the 23 fire tenders are not working, thus 15 are functional.
Speaking on Ghanakoma morning show on Akoma 87.9FM in Kumasi with Sir John, the Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Do3 Peter Addai, revealed those that have broken down require spare parts that need to be imported from abroad.
“There are currently 15 fire tenders serving 43 MMDAS in Ashanti Region,” he revealed on February 10.
He said this situation is making it difficult for them to respond swiftly to fire incidents.
The revelation comes after fire personnel deployed to fire scenes were attacked by some angry people over claims they delayed.
He also disclosed that some of the fire tenders serve more than five districts in the region.
He said the region is challenged in its swift response to distress calls due to malfunctioning and old fire tenders.
DO3 Addai described the shortfall as a big problem, supporting concerns raised by some residents in the region.
By the international standards, it should take 5 minutes to get to a fire scene. However, it takes 20 to 30 minutes to get to a fire scene.
“If you look at the prevailing situation in the country, we have had cases where we did more than the international standards. Looking at some of the distances we have to travel, there are times we do over 20 minutes.
He also advised the public to be fire conscious in addressing some of the fire incidents in the region.
