Four firefighters were injured, two in critical condition, after the last floor of a two-storey building collapsed on top of them during a fire incident in West Legon on Wednesday, January 24. .
Two firefighters who sustained burn injuries, Raymond Ansah and Joshua Kankam, are currently hospitalized at the University of Ghana Medical Center (UGMC) in Legon.
Mr Ibrahim Anum and Prince Ofori, who sustained minor injuries, were treated and released from hospital.
They were part of a team from the Legon Fire Department that was battling a commercial fire incident when the tragedy occurred.
On Wednesday, Fire Chief Julius Knuor visited the firefighters as they were admitted to the hospital and assured management’s full support for a speedy and complete recovery.
what happened?
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Timothy Osafo-Afam, explained what happened at the scene and said the men were working to extinguish the fire. Two pillars supporting the building collapsed during the construction. That caused the building to collapse.
A safety officer was on watch to make sure the building was safe while the fire was being extinguished, but said the incident occurred on the second floor and he was on the first floor and could see the signs.
Not covered by insurance
When asked if there is insurance for injured firefighters, the PRO said there is no special insurance for such tragedies.
But he said there is a common policy called workers’ compensation, which is what you receive when you eventually recover.
“This is why we are always calling on authorities to devise appropriate insurance for firefighting work,” Afam stressed.
preventive measure
To prevent such a tragedy from happening again, the department said it plans to recall and retrain all safety personnel.
He said this is to ensure that firefighters are always on high alert if they feel threatened in the event of a fire.
Fortunately, he said, the government has invested money this year to buy state-of-the-art firefighting equipment and vehicles for firefighting operations.
“In this regard, I am aware that funds are being invested in purchasing firefighting equipment to enhance operations.
Additionally, the government provided funds for the purchase of vehicles for the commanders,” Afam said.
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