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The Brong Ahafo Regional Fire Command has over the last 10 years recorded 43,000 prank calls and 576 false alarms.

The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Fire Commander, DOI Paa Kwasi Adu Twum, revealed this at a day's workshop for journalists in the Sunyani Municipality on basic fire safety and prevention.

DOI Paa Kwasi Adu Twum, speaking at the workshop, noted that the fire command has been battling with theses pranks and false calls in the past decade. This, he said, is putting stress on their fuel consumption.

"Above all, it is our responsibility to attend to incidents so when such things happen we would definitely at times move the vehicle, men to the scene of the incident and just being told there is no outbreak, then we return. And considering the size of the engine, even if you move five kilometres, you are consuming not less than half or one gallon of the fuel you have in it so it tells you we are consuming fuel a lot when it comes to false calls," DOI Adu Twum revealed.

DOI Adu Twum said the region has recorded many fire outbreaks ranging from domestic, vehicular and bushfires. In 2015, the region recorded 371 fire outbreaks  from January to June, but in the same period in 2016, the number increased to 470.

DOI Adu Twum also revealed that about 97.6% of buildings affected by fire had properties not insured even though Legislative Instrument (LI) 1724 mandates institutions to get fire certification. He also encouraged all institutions, establishments and public places to obtain fire certificates.

He revealed that in 2015, many farmlands and forest reserves were destroyed by fire.

He added that this year they would enforce their education early enough to encourage the fire volunteers to go into the hamlets to educate them on fire outbreaks.

DOI Adu Twum called on the media to support the Ghana National Fire Service to educate the public on fire safety and prevention.