Be patient with firefighters – Mahama over recent attacks

President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to Ghanaians to exercise patience with personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) during fire emergencies, emphasizing that delays in response are not deliberate.

Speaking at the Jubilee House on Friday, June 20, 2025, during a donation ceremony where security agencies contributed GH¢1,002,000 to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares), the President addressed critical challenges facing the fire service.

President Mahama acknowledged the frustrations of the public during fire outbreaks but explained that inadequate equipment remains a major hurdle.

“Fire service needs fire equipment urgently. Let me say I empathise with my sister here. When the fire service arrives late, people get angry. But they just don’t have the fire tenders. The last set of fire tenders were bought almost 9 years, 10 years ago from Prof. Mills time, There’s not been a retooling, most of those tenders are broken down,” he said.

He urged Ghanaians to remain calm and support firefighters, assuring that retooling the service is a top priority under his administration.

“So I urge the public to be patient with our fire officers. They are working under difficult circumstances. And so one of the priorities will be to get some new fire tenders for you,” the President added.

His comments follow recent incidents of assault on firefighters in the line of duty. In a statement issued on September 10, 2024, the Ghana National Fire Service condemned attacks on its personnel.

According to the statement, issued by the Head of Public Relations, DO II Desmond E. Ackah, two separate assaults had occurred — leaving one firefighter seriously injured and another traumatised.

The first incident involved Assistant Divisional Officer (ADO) Abdul Aziz Annor, who was attacked by a commercial driver and his mate while refilling a fire truck at the La Palm T-junction in Accra.

In a separate incident, personnel from the Dansoman Fire Station were verbally and physically assaulted by residents while responding to a fire outbreak near the Dansoman Roundabout.

The GNFS has since called for public cooperation and respect for emergency responders as they carry out their duties under challenging conditions.