Checks at the business and administrative hub of Cape Coast as well as the entire Mankessim town have shown that the two notable places in the Central Region have no fire hydrants.
This means that should any fire outbreak occur in those places, the Ghana National Fire Service personnel may struggle to put it out.
A fire hydrant is a water connection point, which is part of the water pipelines in an area, where firefighters use to fight an outbreak. Per international standards, there should be one at each hundred metre interval.
However, in Cape Coast, from London Bridge, the Agriculture Development Bank area, to Kingsway, through the Ministries to GCB Bank Main and from Melcom to the National Investment Bank, a radius of about 300 metres, not a single fire hydrant can be seen.
The area also hosts the SSNIT House, MTN, GN Bank, Prudential Bank, Barclays Bank, and other notable businesses.
The Acting Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Central Regional Ghana National Fire Service, Assistant Divisional Officer Abdul Wasiu Hudu, said, “it is a worrying situation, especially when there is a fire situation, it so difficult because you don’t have ready hydrants to which you can connect the hoses to so that you can have a constant flow of water to fight fire”.
A business owner in the enclave, Samson Amuzu, told Citi News, “The situation is not only a threat to businesses but also to the people living around and those who come here to do their daily business”.
Officer Wasui Hudu again bemoaned the difficult for firefighter face in movimg from the Fire Station at the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly to the Kingsway area because the street is a single lane.
The Mankessim Situation
At Mankessim, the situation is dire, known to be the central business centre of the Mfantsiman Municipality, the town cannot boast of even a single fire hydrant.
The town, a fast growing one, hosts one of Central Region’s huge and vibrant markets while it has also become the hub of most businesses, banks and other financial institutions, but the nearest fire hydrant is at the only Fire Station within the Municipality at Abonko, several kilometres away.
The Regional PRO recounts the Mankessim situation saying, “There is no hydrant there, neither is there any open source of water, so most times when there is fire at Mankessim and they realise they have inadequate water, they call the Regional headquarters or Apam, which will also take about thirty minutes”.
He indicates his outfit has instituted a regular fire education at the market, and is also working together with the Ghana Water Company and the various assemblies to deal with the situations.
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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana