Fire Service personnel attacked
Gilbert Boyefio
21/07/2008
The 'late arrival' of fire service personnel of the Trade Fair Fire Service on the scene of a fire outbreak at Nungua Zongo Wednesday night infuriated some members of the community to attack them.
Three wooden houses and a former drinking bar, which was being used for storage, were entirely destroyed in the fire. No major property or life was lost in the fire as the inhabitants, with the help of sympathizers, were able to successfully take them out. The source of the fire could not be determined.
According to an eye witness, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of hostile repercussions, as soon as the crowd saw the Fire Service team they became incensed and started throwing stones and other objects at them for allegedly arriving late.
Although no one on the scene, including one of the affected victims that this paper interviewed, could tell the exact time the fire started and the time the fire service was called, the witness said the angry crowd felt the Fire Service personnel should have arrived earlier.
He attributed the rowdy behaviour of the crowd to the fact that by the time the Fire Service personnel got to the scene the crowd had already put most of the fire out and it was not as intense as before. He disclosed that he called the Tema Fire Service when the fire at a point threatened to spread to other houses.
But according to Station Officer Nettey of the Tema Fire Station, who resides in the vicinity and was on the scene helping extinguish the fire before the fire tender arrived, the Fire Service team from Trade Fair headed to the scene as soon as they were called.
He told The Statesman that he was at C5 when his wife called him that there had been a fire outbreak in their vicinity and he immediately called the Fire Master Control Room and the information was transmitted to the Trade Fair Fire Station who immediately rushed to the scene.
Nettey confirmed that as soon as the fire tender got to the scene the angry crowd started attacking them and consequently they decided to leave, but a police patrol team arrived on the scene and calm was restored for them to do their work.
He said some few minutes later a second fire tender from the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority, Tema, arrived to support their colleagues. Corroborating the story of the Fire Service, Mohammed Yamba, one of the victims, said it was true that the crowd attacked them for coming late. According to the visibly shaken victim, the fire started around 8:00-8:30pm.
He said after closing from work he decided to go and pray and it was there that someone came to tell him that the wooden structure behind his house was on fire. He said together with the crowd they tried to prevent the fire from spreading further but to no avail. He said he could not tell what he has lost in the fire.Inspector Francis Odonkor, Commander-In-Charge of the Patrol Team of Teshie-Nungua Estate and its environs, could not confirm that the crowd attacked the Fire Service personnel with any offensive weapons.
He however ,admitted calming down the crowd and persuading the Fire Service personnel to do their work.On the cause of the fire, he said he did not know it "I am waiting for the Commander to see if I can get any new information." He said so far no one had complained to them of any stolen item.
Both Nettey and Inspector Odonkor advised the public to desist from attacking Fire Service personnel in the course of their duty.
"The duty of the Fire Service is to extinguish fire so people should not attack them for doing it. They should rather help them in the performance of their duties," they appealed. They further added that the fire was not caused by the Fire Service that people should see them as their enemies.
Although the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipality has a fire station situated in Nungua, there is no fire tender at the office and the place looks more dead than active.
21/07/2008
The 'late arrival' of fire service personnel of the Trade Fair Fire Service on the scene of a fire outbreak at Nungua Zongo Wednesday night infuriated some members of the community to attack them.
Three wooden houses and a former drinking bar, which was being used for storage, were entirely destroyed in the fire. No major property or life was lost in the fire as the inhabitants, with the help of sympathizers, were able to successfully take them out. The source of the fire could not be determined.
According to an eye witness, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of hostile repercussions, as soon as the crowd saw the Fire Service team they became incensed and started throwing stones and other objects at them for allegedly arriving late.
Although no one on the scene, including one of the affected victims that this paper interviewed, could tell the exact time the fire started and the time the fire service was called, the witness said the angry crowd felt the Fire Service personnel should have arrived earlier.
He attributed the rowdy behaviour of the crowd to the fact that by the time the Fire Service personnel got to the scene the crowd had already put most of the fire out and it was not as intense as before. He disclosed that he called the Tema Fire Service when the fire at a point threatened to spread to other houses.
But according to Station Officer Nettey of the Tema Fire Station, who resides in the vicinity and was on the scene helping extinguish the fire before the fire tender arrived, the Fire Service team from Trade Fair headed to the scene as soon as they were called.
He told The Statesman that he was at C5 when his wife called him that there had been a fire outbreak in their vicinity and he immediately called the Fire Master Control Room and the information was transmitted to the Trade Fair Fire Station who immediately rushed to the scene.
Nettey confirmed that as soon as the fire tender got to the scene the angry crowd started attacking them and consequently they decided to leave, but a police patrol team arrived on the scene and calm was restored for them to do their work.
He said some few minutes later a second fire tender from the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority, Tema, arrived to support their colleagues. Corroborating the story of the Fire Service, Mohammed Yamba, one of the victims, said it was true that the crowd attacked them for coming late. According to the visibly shaken victim, the fire started around 8:00-8:30pm.
He said after closing from work he decided to go and pray and it was there that someone came to tell him that the wooden structure behind his house was on fire. He said together with the crowd they tried to prevent the fire from spreading further but to no avail. He said he could not tell what he has lost in the fire.Inspector Francis Odonkor, Commander-In-Charge of the Patrol Team of Teshie-Nungua Estate and its environs, could not confirm that the crowd attacked the Fire Service personnel with any offensive weapons.
He however ,admitted calming down the crowd and persuading the Fire Service personnel to do their work.On the cause of the fire, he said he did not know it "I am waiting for the Commander to see if I can get any new information." He said so far no one had complained to them of any stolen item.
Both Nettey and Inspector Odonkor advised the public to desist from attacking Fire Service personnel in the course of their duty.
"The duty of the Fire Service is to extinguish fire so people should not attack them for doing it. They should rather help them in the performance of their duties," they appealed. They further added that the fire was not caused by the Fire Service that people should see them as their enemies.
Although the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipality has a fire station situated in Nungua, there is no fire tender at the office and the place looks more dead than active.
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