Only five of about 30 fire hydrants inspected within the Ministries enclave in Accra were found to be fully functional, raising concerns about firefighting preparedness in the area.

The inspection was conducted by the Greater Accra Regional Fire Command in collaboration with Ghana Water Limited as part of efforts to identify and restore faulty hydrants ahead of the fire season.

Two of the hydrants inspected recorded low water pressure, while the remaining 23 were non-functional.

The exercise also revealed that the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) had no fire hydrant on its premises.

Regional Fire Officer, ACFO II Rashid Nisawu, advised the management of CAGD to work with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and Ghana Water Limited to facilitate the installation of a hydrant.

The inspection covered several government institutions, including the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the Ministries of Transport, Roads and Highways, Energy and Finance, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Ghana Health Service (GHS), National Lottery Authority (NLA), the Court Complex and the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Regional Fire Command said the exercise forms part of a proactive effort to identify, repair and restore non-functional hydrants to improve access to water during emergencies.

It said restoring the hydrants would strengthen emergency response and help protect lives and property in the event of fires.