A video shared on X by user @eddue_wrt depicts scenes of Fire Service personnel attempting to douse a fire in a manner deemed underwhelming by residents of a community in Kwahu Tafo, Eastern Region of Ghana.
Reportedly, a fire broke out in a residential property in the area, prompting a call to the Fire Service for assistance.
The footage shows the fire consuming a significant part of what looks like a residential property, with onlookers expressing their disappointment with the firefighting efforts, noting that the water pressure from the hose used in dousing the fire seemed as weak as that from a ‘water pistol’.
The fire officer, initially holding the water hose alone, was directing it in a manner that was perceived as ineffective by observers.
A resident, feeling the need to assist the fire officers, is seen in the video pouring a bucket of water onto the flaming house to aid the dousing process.
As the video progresses, the water pressure is increased, requiring multiple officers to manage the hose. However, onlookers remained dissatisfied with the performance of the fire officers, expressing their discontent in the Twi dialect.
They voiced their concerns with exclamations such as, “Just look at that! Where does he think he is going? What at all are they doing? What is this? So all these people are paid? The house is already burnt! Enter the building! The whole place is on fire!”
Users on X echoed the sentiments of the onlookers in the video, expressing disappointment with the Fire Service’s response.
The incident underscores existing challenges faced by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in training and equipping its personnel.
Despite efforts to enhance capabilities through training and resource acquisition, such as the recent commissioning of another Fire Service Training School, incidents like the one in Kwahu Tafo highlight the need for continuous improvement and transparency in the GNFS’s operations to meet public expectations.