The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has expressed dissatisfaction about fire safety measures installed at the Cape Coast Stadium by the Chinese contractors.
According to Chief Fire Officer, Dr Albert Brown Gaisie, although there are a number of fire safety measures, the positions of the fire hydrants for instance, is not conducive.
[contextly_sidebar id=”AHnswqhkJ41AIrGhSLu0sLqJDIFKsAwG”]Work on the much awaited 15,000 capacity stadium, funded with a $30 million Chinese grant, started in August 2013 and is expected to be completed in August.
Dr Gaisie who led a team of senior fire officials to visit the stadium as part of his regional tour requested that the contractors should provide the GNFS the safety installation drawings of the stadium.
This, he said will help the Safety Directorate of GNFS to study it, hold necessary consultations with stakeholders and provide appropriate advice.
The Chief Fire Officer was accompanied by DCFO Michael Yarquaah, Director of Safety, DCFO Kwame Kwarteng, Director of Research, Development and Monitoring, DOII Harriet Nunoo, Public Relations Officer, ACFO Semekor Kwaku Fiadzo, Central Regional Fire Commander and Regional Safety Officer DOII Mark Awotwe Quaye.
The Chinese contractor has put in place 12 standing water hydrants, which could drop water without taking the appliance onto the field as well as water pumps together with a large reservoir to furnish the GNFS with water in case of a fire outbreak.
Tang Weiyi, Project Manager of the stadium indicated that as part of safety precautions, the facility, when completed, would have four large emergency exit points, which would be opened in case of emergencies such as fire outbreaks.
But the GNFS wants more spacious emergency exits.
The Service said the pillars at the popular stand are too short for spectators to jump easily to the field to cause trouble and has therefore asked the contractors to raise them.
The team also visited the construction of University of Cape Coast 460 Students Representative Council hostel where it discovered that the contractors had not secured fire safety permit before putting up the building and also had not made provision for fire safety.
The GNFS ordered the contractors to provide the personnel with the building drawing for advice.
ACFO Fiadzo, called on individuals, institutions and the public to seek the advice of the GNFS whenever they want to build so that it could do proper assessment of the project to put in place good fire safety measures to prevent fire outbreaks.
He asked the media to report more on fire safety to educate the public on the need to put in place proper housekeeping to supplement the efforts of the Service to ensuring a fire free society.
Source: GNA