The state of Ghana’s emergency services: A whole East Legon doesn’t have fire station?

There is an African adage that says that new deaths wake up old ghosts. What this means is that we are reminded of old issues whenever a new one occurs.

The Akans say “Asem bi safoa, bue asem bi pono”. Translates: ‘The key to an issue opens the door of another’.

The entire country was plunged into the state of shock and heartbreak by an accident that occurred on the 12th October, 2024 at East Legon that saw a Jaguar running into a stationed Honda Accura, getting the vehicles engulfed in a fire, and burning two 12-year-old girls, Maame Dwomoh and Justine Agbenu to death while others sustained various degrees of injury.

Eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage of the accident clearly tell that the avoidable accident was caused by reckless driving by a 16-year-old son of a popular Ghanaian prophet, Archbishop Salifu Amoako. My condolences once again to the bereaved families.

As videos of the accident circulate on social media, some people who commented expressed disappointment in the inability of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to arrive at the scene on time to put out the fire and possibly rescue the victims who were trapped in the furnace.

Unfortunately, this has been the case in most instances not because the Fire Service deliberately delayed their response but due to the travel distance from the closest fire station and other delimiting factors beyond the GNFS’ control.

With the benefit of hindsight and insight into the challenges faced by our emergency services in Ghana, I get worried when some members of the public attack officers of GNFS or the National Ambulance Service for showing up a bit later than they expected.

One particular comment that caught my attention was: “So a whole East Legon doesn’t have a fire station?” The person asked in surprise.

Yes! East Legon, Adjiringanor, and East Legon Hills, do not have a single fire station there. So, when there is a fire in these areas, fire trucks may have to move from the University of Ghana or Madina fire stations to go to where the fire is.

I was surprised that the commenter was surprised that an affluent community like East Legon had no fire station. So I ask the question I wanted to ask the commenter? Do you have a fire station in your area?

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has raised concerns about the lack of fire tenders in areas like Weija and Kasoa and the potential threat this poses to residents in these areas, yet nothing has been done.

Clearly, emergency and safety awareness is low in Ghana. A lot of people do not even know the emergency numbers and lack understanding of the work of the Ghana National Fire Service.

As we say in the Ghanaian parlance, “May I use this opportunity that has presented itself” to offer a little education about the work of Ghana’s Emergency Services.

Ghana National Fire Service

The mission of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) is to protect life, property, and natural resources from fire and other emergencies. However, with the increasing demands, the fire service must utilize the best tools, techniques, and training methods to meet public expectations. Risk management, preparedness, and mitigation have taken on new importance with challenges facing the Fire Service today (ESRI, 2006).

Aside from fighting fire, which is suggested by the name, Ghana National Fire Service performs search and rescue duties. It is supposed to be the first point of call to an accident scene but ignorantly, people call the police or ambulance. Hence, the ambulance or police gets to an accident scene and becomes helpless when victims are trapped because they lack the equipment for such rescue operations.

Also, automobiles are combustible and can easily catch fire when involved in an accident, that is why one should call the Fire Service first. In addition, when a snake or any wild animal trespasses your space, it is the Fire Service you need to call. The bottom line is that Fire Service officers are first of all safety officers.

The National Ambulance Service

The ambulance services include: Care to the sick and injured in the nature of response to an emergency call within the stipulated time target and transportation of a person to or from a hospital and any other health care facility.

Again, it ensures public safety by standing by during public gatherings or call duties; provide public information, education and training on safety measures to be undertaken in emergency or disaster situations.

Also, the National Ambulance Service performs disaster management via the provision of communication linkage with control rooms of the Service, hospitals and other agencies involved in disaster management. The service provides twenty-four-hour standby service to respond to 193 and other Emergency calls.

According to data from the Ghana National Ambulance Service, as of 2023, there are 297 Ambulance Stations, 356 ambulances and 3509 employees serving the entire country.

However, international standards recommend provision of 1 ambulance for every 50,000 people to fulfil demand for transporting patients to definitive care facilities in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs).

The Prioritization of Security and the Neglect of Safety

In answering this puzzle, we will also fish out an answer to the question by the commenter: So a whole East Legon doesn’t have a fire station?

Obviously, as a country we prioritize security and care less about safety. We often hear stories of donations of various items including vehicles, motorcycles and others to the Police Service in the news. Communities and their leaders always demand for police stations to be established in their communities by the government yet they hardly request for a fire station. The only time the Fire Service is remembered is when there is a fire outbreak.

For instance, in prioritizing their security, members of the East Legon Extension Residents Association, through self-help, built a police station at a cost of GH¢300million for the community. Of course, security is very important and building a police station was a step in the right direction.

My only concern is that after several years of building the police station for the community, why have the residents not also taken interest to build a fire station to deal with emergencies irrespective of the numerous fire outbreaks that have occurred in the community over the years? If not safety first, at least it’s better late than never.

A simple Google search will show stories such as: Residents Build Police Station, Nkosuohene Dr. Baffour Osei Kwame donates ultra-modern edifice to Wiamoase Police, and a Group donates bicycles to police among several others.

Hardly, did we hear of such donations to the Ghana National Fire Service or the National Ambulance Service though these emergency services providers are equally important as the police and other security agencies.

Interestingly, the thieves or armed robbers we dread of, are selective of the things they want to steal from the house, fire on the other hand, does not discriminate in the things it destroys when it invades your house or property. In most instances, fires start from within and spread swiftly unlike thieves and robbers who come from outside and relatively take a while to invade and operate.

Why the need to establish Emergency Services Centers (EMCs)

‘Instant response to fire events is important for emergency response since delays in arrival can have serious repercussions in terms of cost, damage, and death. However, the growing urban interface in cities poses a difficulty in developing and sustaining efficient emergency response procedures.’ (Djaba 2023)

According to NFPA (2021), the optimum travel time from a fire facility to a fire incident scene to prevent a fire outbreak is 5 minutes while 15 minutes is the maximum amount of time to a fire incident scene. If a fire truck arrives at a fire incident scene in more than 15 minutes of travel time, there is a high possibility that devastating consequences of the fire have already occurred.

Fire stations are therefore supposed to be strategically positioned as part of a system that seeks to offer a consistent level of service to all households while accounting for risk and service time. Therefore, the placement and number of fire stations have a significant impact on the effectiveness of emergency response during fires and emergencies.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sets the buffer radius for establishing fire stations to 8 kilometers because it is the maximum coverage area pegged for each fire station by international fire regulations standards (NFPA, 2021; OSHA, 2015).

Going by the international fire regulations standards, Ghana should have at least a thousand (1000) fire stations, but the country currently has less than two hundred (200) fire stations and about a hundred (100) functional fire tenders which is woefully inadequate.

Therefore, in respect of enhancing the capacities and efficiency of Ghana’s emergency services and improving response time, it is paramount for the government and stakeholders to invest in building Emergency Services Center (EMC) that may house an Ambulance Station & Fire Station strategically within communities to ensure accessibility and improve public safety.

Additionally, setting up these emergency response centers will create employment opportunities for the individuals that would be recruited to man the posts. On the average, a fire station needs about 70 to 100 personnel to operate a 24-hour shift. Therefore, setting up additional 800 fire stations would create at least between 56,000 to 80,000 jobs.

Also, going by the international standards above, per Ghana’s 34 million population, the country requires a minimum of 680 ambulances and a minimum of 13,600 personnel for efficient operations.

Furthermore, having these EMCs will also boost public confidence in the government and attract their goodwill.

Again, having a safe and secured environment boosts investor confidence and helps economic activities to thrive thereby resulting in socioeconomic growth.

Ultimately, it will save cost and reduce the losses of lives and properties.

Safety is a shared responsibility. Safety First!

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