The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has called on actors in the hospitality industry especially hotels and Guest houses to display fire certificates, fire monitoring devices and fire extinguishers at strategic locations.
Divisional Fire Officer, Mark Quarcoo, GNFS Ada East District Fire Officer also appealed to Guests and patrons of hospitality centres to inspect whether the facility had a fire safety certificate in addition to other safety and security measures.
DOIII Quarcoo told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Ada that most owners of such facilities had failed to comply with Legislative Instruments 1724 enacted in 2003.
The LI compels owners and occupiers of public residential accommodation for the purposes of entertainment, recreation or as a club, as a place of work as well as institution providing health treatment or care for infants, disabled or aged persons to have fire certificate, which must be displayed at strategic locations.
The GNFS is required to issue fire certificate upon request by owners of such facilities and after a thorough fire auditing of the facility, which are subject to renewal after every 12 months.
According to Ada East District Fire Officer, some owners of hospitality facilities had failed to comply with the LI 1724 even though the GNFS had written letters to instruct them of their obligations.
He explained that apart from the Hotels and recreational centers; some clergy men and fuel station owners within the Ada divisional authority also failed to apply for fire certificates, fire extinguishers among other fire monitory devices.
DOIII Quarcoo said GNFS would institute legal actions against recalcitrant, companies, churches and other operators of public facilities who are required to obtain fire certificates.
He also advised insurance companies to inspect the fire certificate as a requirement for insuring any public facility, “the owners are required to provide fire certificates and evidence of fire monitory devices among others before you insure”.
By Gideon Assinu Tetsonya, GNA
