La Dade-Kotopon Municipal branch of National Disaster Management Organisation, NADMO in collaboration with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) have educated the market women on how to fight fire on.
La Dade-Kotopon Municipal NADMO and GNFS carry out this exercise in the bid to ensure no market in the area is consumed by fire.
In recent times, Ghana has been recording fires at various market centres which affects the already poor market women who lose their goods to the inferno.
These destroyed goods run into millions of Ghana cedis, whilst other service providers in these markets get affected in one way or other.
The Acting (Ag) La Dade-Kotopon Municipal NADMO Director, Deborah Maame Akua Ofori expressed worry over how disaster incidents impoverish people more, hence, her move to ensure constant fire education and in other areas nstural incidents to help curb the situation.
Mrs Akua Ofori led her team with the help of her officers in charge of La NADMO Operations to the La Market Complex where the exercise took place to the admiration of the La people who commended them.
The GNFS personnel took the market women through fire prevention and extinguishing in case of fire outbreak both at the market and their homes with the use of the fire extinguishers.
They were shown types of fire extinguishers that are supposed to be used at market places and homes which are different from those that are made purposely for vehicles.
Fire extinguishers like the powdered and Co2 types are appropriate for markets and homes. GNFS explained that the Co2 type of extinguishers are used where foods are prepared and the foods are save to be eaten without a problem.
In the case of the powered extinguisher there foods cannot be eaten after the usage though they are as well good extinguishers at all times.
The women were informed that water is heavier than fuels like petrol and kerosene or diesel. So fire could still destroy things or kill whilst any of the fuels are more on water.
To this, the GNFS cited June 3, 2014 inferno where the fire burnt over 120 victims and vehivles whilst water was flowing beneath the petrol and diesel after the heavy rains that sad day at a fuel station at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra.
After the open forum, the personnel of GNFS demonstrated how the market women could use the powdered or the Co2 extinguishers to put out fires at their markets and homes. The women were also taken through the used of sack or fire blanket soaked with water to put out.
Other members of the NADMO staff were joined by some officers from the La Municipal Health Diractorate to also help offer education on COVID-19 and the importance of observing all the protocols to reduce the transmission and the dangers of this deadly virus.
The women were charged to help ask those who come to the La market to either wash or sanitize their hands if they did not do that as they walk into the market to buy goods/items or to provide services.
According to the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly, anyone who refuses to use the nose-mask the Assembly would process the person for court immediately without resulting to police processes.
The Hon. La Kpana Assemblyman, William Koney took turns to advice the market women briefly after a short introduction.
Story By: Gator Edudzi Amenuveve/Nationaltymes.com
