Deputy Chief Fire Officer educates on fire safety at home

Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) James Owusu-Agyei, Ghana National Fire Service, has educated the public on fire safety and how to prevent domestic fire outbreaks.

In an engagement with the Tema Ghana News Agency, he emphasised that fire safety at home should be encouraged, such as being circumspect with the use of fire in the kitchen.

He said urged users to check the state of their gas cylinders before to prevent any leakage and avoid putting blocks on the regulators in attempt to prevent leakage ‘this practice is very dangerous.’

He added that domestic fire outbreaks are attributed to cylinder leakages at homes in most cases and urged the public to change the valve of the cylinder whenever they go for refills.

He added faulty cylinders should be changed to prevent fire outbreaks.

‘Always check your cylinders and regulators before usage,’ he recommended.

DCFO Owusu-Agyei, also the GNFS Director in Charge of Rural Fires, cautioned against a naked fire whenever there is a smell of gas.

He said opening o
f windows was the preferable way to allow air to vent out the leaked gas from the room.

He mentioned that the usage of extension boards in homes with multiple connections for all the electrical gadgets like the television, radio, and electric iron, among others, should be prevented.

‘The 240V or 220V from the wall is just extended to where the gadgets are, so do not fill the sockets of the extension boards with all the electrical gadgets in as much as there is enough space,’ he emphasised.

He said congested sockets put undue pressure that could spark off fire.

‘Use one socket for an electrical gadget, and do not pass your extension board underneath the carpet,’ he advised.

DCFO Owusu-Agyei advised the public to get a certified electrician from ECG to check faulty metres when the need arises.

Source: Ghana News Agency