The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has underscored the urgent need for advanced firefighting equipment to tackle increasingly complex fire incidents across the country.

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The last time the country purchased a fire tender for the GNFS was in 2014, the Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak announced.

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According to the service, traditional water tenders alone are no longer sufficient to deal with modern fire emergencies, especially with the rise in high-rise buildings and large-scale market fires.

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“Now the fire that we are experiencing are so sophisticated that you no longer need the normal water tender to be able to deal with the situation,” a fire officer stated.

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To enhance their efficiency, the GNFS is calling for the acquisition of cutting-edge firefighting tools, including drones, multipurpose fire tenders, hydraulic platforms, and extendable ladders.

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“We need the firefighting drones. We also need the multipurpose fire tenders. We also need the hydraulic platforms and tentable ladders. Now people are building more high-rise structures. Aside us recommending and ensuring that they put in property protection......we need these hydraulic platforms and tentable ladders especially within the major cities,” the officer explained.

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He cited the recent Adum Market fire in Kumasi as an example of why these resources are critical.

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“For instance, if the Kumasi incident, if we had three of them at the same time, we would have been found wanting and it would mean that we would have to move resources from either Tema or Accra to go and support and that would have been disastrous,” he noted.

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The GNFS’s handling of the Adum Market fire has, however, come under criticism from Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene.

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During a visit to the scene on Saturday, March 22, 2025, Dr. Amoakohene accused firefighters of inefficiency and failing to disclose challenges, particularly the lack of water in some fire tenders.

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“If there is no water in the tender, what is it doing here? If you have any challenge, why don’t you tell me immediately?” the minister fumed, as captured in a viral video.

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In response, GNFS Public Relations Officer Alex King Nartey dismissed the minister’s public outburst, insisting that he was already aware of the logistical constraints the service faces.

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“Action is not by shouting or creating a public spectacle. This is a minister who is well aware of our challenges as a service. Even as of March 6, when our officers engaged him during a cleaning exercise, he assured them he would help fix our fire tender at our Metro Station. That promise is yet to be fulfilled,” Nartey stated in an interview with GHOne TV.

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He further emphasized that effective firefighting depends on adequate resources, not verbal reprimands.

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“We didn’t have this kind of scene at Kantamanto, yet we were able to extinguish the fire. Shouting does not fight fires or extinguish fires,” he added.

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After two days of relentless firefighting efforts, the GNFS confirmed that the raging inferno at the Blue Light Arena in Adum Market had been fully extinguished.

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The fire, which broke out at dawn on Friday, left over 5,000 traders and shop owners displaced, with many losing valuable property and livelihoods.

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Despite the criticism, the GNFS commended its personnel for their dedication in battling the flames and called for urgent investment in modern firefighting tools to prevent future disasters.

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