All the Fire Hydrants in the Bolgatanga Municipality, have for years now been sealed off by the Ghana Water’ Company Limited (GWCL)
This has consequently made it difficult for the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to access water to fight fires.
Mr Issifu Musah, a training officer of the Regional Fire Office disclosed this last Friday at a fire fighting training session in Bolgatanga for workers of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a waste management company.
The programme, which was organised by Zoomlion in collaboration with the GNFS, was aimed among other things, at equipping the participants with the skills in operating fire extinguishers, fire fighting without the extinguishers and upgrading their knowledge on fire prevention.
The sealing off at the hydrants accordint to Mr. Musah, explained was because of an allegation the Bolgatanga GNFS was selling water from the hydrants.
He said the lack of access to water was militating against the GNFS’ ability to fight fire in the area.
He therefore appealed to the Municipal Assembly to intervene to get the GWCL to open the fire–hydrants.
Naba Akolbila Robert, a Deputy Co-ordinating Director at the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, who represented the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Epsona Ayamga, asked the workers to take the training seriously.
He promised to inform the Municipal Chief Executive of the closure of the hydrants to enable him to intervene.
Opening the session, Mr. Laud Mike Tagoe, Upper East Regional Operations Officer of Zoom lion stressed the need for the workers to be conversant with fire fighting and prevention techniques so they can train others in their various communities.
He said the training would be replicated in the districts to ensure that all workers of the company were well equipped with fire fighting and prevention skills.
Mr. Tagoe expressed gratitude to the GNFS for providing personnel as resource persons for the programme.
Mr Francis Atayure Abirigo, Communications Officer of Zoomlion responsible for the three northern regions, announced that the company would continue to collaborate with its partners, in order to achieve its goals and objectives.
Mr. Stanley Martey, Communications Manager of Aqua Vitens Rand/GWCL, reacting to the issue told the Times that a number of Fire hydrants in the municipality were faulty and had remained so because of the GNFS’ failure to report it to the GWCL.
He explained that owing to GNFS’ abuse of the hydrants by selling the water instead of using it to fight fire they were unable to report faulty hydrants to the GWCL for repairs.
He said the abuse had affected the Finances of the GWCL.
He said there was however one fire hydrant in the premises of the GNFS from which they could fill their tankers.
This has consequently made it difficult for the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to access water to fight fires.
Mr Issifu Musah, a training officer of the Regional Fire Office disclosed this last Friday at a fire fighting training session in Bolgatanga for workers of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a waste management company.
The programme, which was organised by Zoomlion in collaboration with the GNFS, was aimed among other things, at equipping the participants with the skills in operating fire extinguishers, fire fighting without the extinguishers and upgrading their knowledge on fire prevention.
The sealing off at the hydrants accordint to Mr. Musah, explained was because of an allegation the Bolgatanga GNFS was selling water from the hydrants.
He said the lack of access to water was militating against the GNFS’ ability to fight fire in the area.
He therefore appealed to the Municipal Assembly to intervene to get the GWCL to open the fire–hydrants.
Naba Akolbila Robert, a Deputy Co-ordinating Director at the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, who represented the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Epsona Ayamga, asked the workers to take the training seriously.
He promised to inform the Municipal Chief Executive of the closure of the hydrants to enable him to intervene.
Opening the session, Mr. Laud Mike Tagoe, Upper East Regional Operations Officer of Zoom lion stressed the need for the workers to be conversant with fire fighting and prevention techniques so they can train others in their various communities.
He said the training would be replicated in the districts to ensure that all workers of the company were well equipped with fire fighting and prevention skills.
Mr. Tagoe expressed gratitude to the GNFS for providing personnel as resource persons for the programme.
Mr Francis Atayure Abirigo, Communications Officer of Zoomlion responsible for the three northern regions, announced that the company would continue to collaborate with its partners, in order to achieve its goals and objectives.
Mr. Stanley Martey, Communications Manager of Aqua Vitens Rand/GWCL, reacting to the issue told the Times that a number of Fire hydrants in the municipality were faulty and had remained so because of the GNFS’ failure to report it to the GWCL.
He explained that owing to GNFS’ abuse of the hydrants by selling the water instead of using it to fight fire they were unable to report faulty hydrants to the GWCL for repairs.
He said the abuse had affected the Finances of the GWCL.
He said there was however one fire hydrant in the premises of the GNFS from which they could fill their tankers.
