GNFS expresses concern over surge in daily prank calls

Prank calls, which involve falsely reporting emergencies or creating false alarms, pose serious challenges to the fire service's ability to carry out its essential functions effectively.

Prank calls divert valuable resources and attention away from legitimate emergencies, potentially causing delays in response times to actual life-threatening situations. The GNFS, responsible for handling fires, accidents, and other emergencies, must sift through numerous prank calls to identify and respond to real crises promptly.

Despite a decrease in fire outbreaks in 2023 compared to 2022, particularly in the Ashanti Region, the surge in prank calls poses a significant challenge to effective service by the Ghana Fire Service

In a recent interaction on CiTi TV, the Ashanti Regional Fire Commander, ACFO Henry Fatai Giwah expressed deep concern over the alarming number of prank calls received daily.

“Prank calls persist. Every day when you go to our control room, even right now. You see the number of prank calls that come. Averagely, more than 200 a day.

“And at times if you don’t do your inquiries properly and you dispatch, you realize you dispatch to the wrong place. And that’s why at times when you even call, we want to call you back.

“One thing we do is that when you call, because of these prank calls, when you call fire service, we always want to call you back. And even listen to the environment where you are.”

As the GNFS works to address this issue, it is essential for the public to understand the gravity of making false emergency reports and the toll it takes on the efficiency of emergency services.