Tema-Ghana, July 31, – Inspect the fire extinguishers, especially of commercial vehicles, before boarding them, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) Tema Regional Command’s, Divisional Officer III, Mr. Ebenezer Yenzu, has advised.
Mr. Yenzu who is also the GNFS Tema Regional Public Relations Officer said such vigilance will help reduce fire incidence among vehicles, saying that the service managed to reduce vehicular fire cases from 105 in 2021 to 61 in 2022.
“It is a requirement that every vehicle, whether commercial or private, have an extinguisher in it, so when it gets to the DVLA, you are to have an extinguisher in it before your roadworthy is renewed.
“When your roadworthy is not renewed, your insurance is also not renewed for you,” he stated.
Mr. Yenzu said the use of vehicular fire extinguishers depended on the size of the vehicles, adding that dry powder extinguishers were highly recommended for vehicles because of their effectiveness.
He said “every vehicle should have its required extinguisher; when you look at the road traffic regulation, it tells you even the size of the extinguisher that you should use.”
The PRO, GNFS, said drivers commuting without fire extinguishers thought they were outsmarting the system but were rather endangering themselves, especially when there was an incident.
“With an extinguisher that might not be more than GHC300.00 deepening the size, you’ve endangered the lives of people in the car and also the property; you end up destroying a vehicle that is worth over a thousand for just a GHC 300 thing,” he stated.
He warned against patronage of uncertified fire extinguishers, and urged consumers to be circumspect in purchasing extinguishers as some do not conform to the standards, saying the GNFS was constantly on the ground clearing the uncertified goods from the market.
Mr. Yenzu mentioned that the GNFS was trying its best to conscientize all Ghanaians in their respective locations to the need to adhere to some simple rules for their safety and well-being.
