Property Owners asked to acquire fire extinguishers

Page 38: June 2, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Minister of State at the Interior Ministry, Nana Obiri Boahen, has directed all property owners and management of institutions to take steps to acquire fire extinguishers and other fire precautionary equipment.
He said it was mandatory for all premises to have fire hydrants close to them or fire extinguishers.
Nana Boahen told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the law required that premises, particularly hotels, entertainment joints, work or health institutions, centres for the aged and the disabled, teaching and learning institutions or other service providers to the public as well as residential accommodation must have a hydrant or fire extinguishers.
Some personnel of the Tema Regional office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) who went on an inspection of some facilities in the Tema metropolis were obstructed by some of the property owners from doing their work.
Nana Boahen said the fire extinguishers were also expected to be serviced every six months under the law to ensure that they were in good condition.
He said all such institutions needed fire certificates issued by the Chief Fire Officer annually to certify their premises as prepared for any fire emergency.
He said the demands of the law on these provisions were in the interest of the owners and users of such facilities.
Nana Boahen said the Fire Precaution Regulation, Legislative Instrument 1724, empowered personnel of the GNFS to enforce the provisions of the law.
He said it was sad that most of these institutions did not have fire detection, warning or fire fighting equipment in place.
Nana Boahen said the rampant fire outbreak in residential accommodation and marketplaces could be minimised, if such places had the requisite equipment in place to sound alarm.
He said there was nothing wrong for personnel of the GNFS to inspect facilities to ensure that the owners complied with the law.
The minister said it was also against the law for anyone to obstruct the officers from doing their work.
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