The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has dismissed reports suggesting that its personnel deliberately respond to fire incidents without water in their tenders.
To demonstrate the capacity and limitations of its equipment, the Service conducted a practical experiment for the media in the Northern Region, where firefighters transferred water from one of their largest fire tenders to another.
The exercise showed that it took 5 minutes and 24 seconds to completely discharge a 2,000-gallon tank — the biggest tender currently serving the region.
Speaking to journalists after the demonstration, the Public Relations Officer of the GNFS in the Northern Region, Assistant Divisional Officer II (ADOII) Hudu Baba, refuted the claims, emphasizing that no fire tender ever leaves the station without water.
“Anytime water is flowing through the pipes, we put water in the tanks for emergency purposes. How much more a vehicle that is in full motion and ready for duty? It has never been the case that we respond to fire emergencies without water,” he stated.
ADOII Baba explained that the rapid depletion of water during firefighting operations often gives the impression that tenders arrive empty, but this is due to the high-pressure discharge rate required to combat intense fires.
He assured the public of the Service’s continuous commitment to effective fire response and called for greater cooperation with firefighters during emergencies.
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