When it comes to ensuring Fire Safety in both our homes and offices, the emphansis is been laid on only public and private places which I think is wrong. Equal attention has to be given to educating our homes and offices to enable us change the attitude of Ghanaians towards practicing the best fire safety culture.
Though I'm quite young, the number fire outbreaks that I have witnessed, have forced me to believe that Ghana as a nation has to take fire safety culture as a serious business, it is only in so doing that we can prevent our lives and property from being destroyed by fires.
The question about whether the National Fire Service is up and doing with regards to educating the public on the best safety practices remains unanswered and whether the the general public is putting into practice what the National Fire Service is preaching has also remained unanswered.
We live in a country where people can use huge sums of Ghana cedis to buy luxury cars but cannot use less than two hundred cedis to buy just one fire extinguisher that can be placed in same car they toiled to buy just in case of any accidental fires.
The story is the same when it comes to our homes. When building our homes. We put in place measures that will prevent any external person that will come and cause harm to us (armed robbers) but do not care about armed robbers that we created through our activities ( fire outbreaks).
We have burglar-proofed all the entrances of our homes but yet there is no single fire extinguisher or early fire detector ( smoke detector ) in our homes.
Majority of Ghanaians have refused to switch off their switches and sockets before leaving their homes and offices. When you go to public places, the first thing one is expected to see is a security officer. A very good example is our banks, one is expected to meet a well equipped police officer and a private security in addition. I bet you, just request for a fire safety officer and they won't be able to provide you one.
Fire Safety Culture is just not the priority of majority of Ghanaians. We have to change our way of life which is to practice what the National Fire Service preaches.
Churches, Schools, Private and public organizations should invite the Fire Service for free education programs. This will go a very long way to help and safeguard us from unwanted fires because 'Fire is a good servant but a bad master'.
Source: By Bless Kwesi Ankudey
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