The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has clarified that it has other responsibilities besides extinguishing fires.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, ADO 1 Alex King Nartey, they offer other emergency services, such as extricating victims from vehicles and collapsed buildings during accidents.
He added that their officers are also responsible for rescuing bee attack victims and those who fall into pits and manholes.
“When it comes to road traffic extrication, that’s under the territory of the GNFS. So, whenever there’s an accident and people are trapped in the vehicle, we don’t call the police; we call the GNFS. So people limit us to [fire quenching].”
ADO 1 Nartey said the public should leave accident scenes for the service since they are trained and have specialised equipment that cuts and extricates people safely.
“You might think you are helping pull someone out, but you might end up killing the person because you may damage the spine if not handled properly.
“When there’s a bee attack in your house, the fire service are the ones you call. When someone falls into a manhole, the fire service is the one to call. When a building collapses on people, the fire service is the one to call,” he admonished.