The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has emphasized that its duties encompass more than just extinguishing fires.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Monday, GNFS Public Relations Officer ADO 1 Alex King Nartey explained that the service also engages in activities such as extricating people from vehicles during accidents.
He further highlighted that the service is tasked with rescuing individuals affected by bee attacks and those who fall into 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 on the GNFS. So people limit us to [fire quenching].
“When Kwame Eugene’s accident happened, for instance, our men were the ones who went to do the extrication to get him out of the debris. We 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 then you might damage the spine.”
He added, “When there’s bee attack in your house, 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 stated.