The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has sounded the alarm over the continued misuse of its emergency helplines, warning that prank calls are significantly hampering its ability to respond to real-life emergencies.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Friday, May 9, ADO 1 Derrick Elorm Adzokpa of the GNFS Public Relations Department expressed deep concern about how prank calls are clogging emergency lines and costing lives.
“The prank calls are killing us,” he said, emphasizing the toll such calls take on the Service’s ability to respond promptly to genuine emergencies.
He noted that although there has been some improvement in public awareness, the problem remains critical.
“It means people are now understanding the effects and implications of these calls,” he said.
He explained how prank calls can deny others the urgent help they need during real emergencies:
“Sometimes when there is an emergency and you call 112 or 192 and it’s not going through, it means someone else is on the line, and that could be a prank call. You can even deny someone who has a real issue the help they urgently need.”
To address this challenge, ADO 1 Adzokpa encouraged the public to make use of alternative emergency numbers, assuring the public of the Service’s readiness to respond:
“The moment you call this number, you will get someone to speak to, and then we will attend to you.”
The alternative lines provided by the GNFS are: 0302772446 and 0299340383.
