The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) reported receiving approximately two million prank calls in the first quarter of the year.
Desmond Essoun Ackah, National 2 IC of the National Public Relations Department of Ghana National Fire Service DO III, expressed concern about how people, particularly children, abuse their emergency line in an interview with Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise.
He explained that such calls can have disastrous consequences for people who are truly in distress and may necessitate the immediate attention of the Ghana National Fire Service.
“We have received about two million prank calls within the first four months of 2022 and most of the prank calls are made by children. It is a big challenge which means that people who are genuinely in need of our service would have their calls stuck in cue because of the pranks. Therefore emergency response time would be delayed unnecessarily,” DO III Ackah stated.
Though according to the laws of Ghana, it is a criminal offense to make such prank calls to emergency numbers, the GNFS is however challenged logistically to trace prank callers but however, there have been instances that some callers have been identified and made to face the full rigors of the law.
A member of the Public Relations department of GNFS, ADO II Alex King Nartey also stressed on the need for parents to guide their wards to desist from making prank calls especially as schools come on vacation. He further calls on the media, schools and other institutions to all help with public education on the negative effects of prank calls to emergency service numbers.
