The Ashanti Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) is collaborating with the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and the National Security to track, arrest and prosecute prank callers to its emergency lines.

A prank call is a telephone call intended by the caller as a practical joke played on the answering person.

The activity has become prevalent in the region as 42 of such calls were recorded in 2019 against seven recorded in 2018.

The situation is not peculiar to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) as the police have also had cause to complain about such behaviour by a section of the public.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana National Fire Service, ADO1 Ackah Desmond Essoun, said prank calls continue to pose a challenge to the operations of fire officers in the region and thus it has made it necessary for them to collaborate with the BNI and National Security to halt the trend completely.

This he said will serve as a deterrent to other members of the public who will want to engage in similar acts.

“We will throw a caution that this time around since everybody has registered his or her number when you call and then you play pranks with our lines, we will give your details to the National Security and the BNI and then they will do the needful by arresting and prosecuting you,” he warned.

He indicated that such persons will also have their pictures and the details of the crime committed published in the national dailies and other news portals in order to deter others from engaging in the act.

Mr. Ackah Essoun also said the command will be undertaking a dawn broadcast where officers move from one community to the other to sensitize the public on the dangers of fire and how they can handle it properly should there be an outbreak.