The week slated for September 28 to October 2, also aimed at raising public awareness about the effects of undesired fires, methods for preventing fire outbreaks, and safety measures.
Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, Greater Accra Regional Minister who launched the fire safety week, said the fight against undesirable fires was a collective responsibility as such ?the time has come for us to arise for our own safety?.
He said Government was concerned about the negative effects of fire outbreaks to markets, homes, industries, institutions, forests, environment and public installations such as the medical stores.
He said the week offered an opportunity for the education of school children as well as the general public on how to handle and manage fire to bring an end to the menace of undesirable fires.
Nana Samuel Brenya, acting Chief Fire Officer Regional Fire Officer, said fire safety and the role it plays largely depended on attitudes.
He said fire safety was a shared responsibility among all facet of society??fire safety and the role it plays in our lives to a large extend depends on our attitude.
?If we are able to change our negative attitude towards safety and perceive safety positively it will go very far to reduce the number of fire incidents, we are encountering in the country.
?We need to think, make time to learn how to protect ourselves, family, loved ones to reduce the number of fire incidents in the country.
?The most common causes of fire are carelessness, ignorance and complacency. We feel fire will never engulf us?.
Nana Brenya noted that undesired fires usually occur between the hours 2200 and 0600.
Giving the national statistics, Nana Brenya said data on fire outbreaks indicates that 759 incidents have been recorded so far from January to August 2015.
Out of this 605 which represents 79 per cent involves domestic, commercial and electrical facilities; ?so we need to learn about fire safety so we do not lose our precious ones and properties?.
Mr Samuel Ayitey Ayi, a Board Member of Ebenezer Senior High School who chaired the launch, advocated for smoke alarms to be fixed in every home.
Parents should educate their children to know fire exit route and keep objects away from exit routes, he said.
Mr Ayitey Ayi also advised that emergency numbers should be re-echoed to enable easy communication between the populace and the fire service.
Source : GNA/newsghana1.tempurl.host
