Ghana National Fire Service recorded 656,591 prank calls from the public in 2023

 Between January and November of 2023, the Ghana National Fire Service experienced operating difficulties due to the 656,591 prank calls it received from the general public.

 

During the Thanksgiving Service's 60th Anniversary Celebration, Chief Fire Officer Julius Kuunuor of the Ghana National Fire Service emphasized the risks these calls presented to the lives of rescuers as well as the possibility of fuel waste.

Kuunuor warned against making hoax calls, highlighting the dangers to first responders and fuel waste.

He called on the public to stop engaging in these behaviors, warning that starting in 2024, the service will not permit them.

Furthermore, there was a 4.92 percent decline in fire outbreaks during the first eleven months of 2023, with 5,256 occurrences recorded as opposed to 5,530 during the same period in 2022.

The national campaign for public fire safety education was blamed for this decrease.

 

Kuunuor emphasized the prompt actions taken by the agency, which prevented millions of dollars worth of property damage.

Looking ahead, the service intends to open clinics in every area and build a fire trauma hospital to provide medical care for staff and the general public in the upcoming year.