One hundred and thirty-nine people lost their lives in fire outbreaks recorded nationwide in 2009 as against 168 deaths in 2008. Seven hundred and seventy-five others were injured in 2009 as against 661 in 2008. A public relations officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Assistant Divisional Officer (ADC) Ellis Robinson Okoe, told the Daily Graphic in Accra. He said there was a reduction of 61 deaths in 2009 as against 2008, while the number of injuries in 2009 increased by 114 over that of 2008. He explained that the service was able to reduce the number of deaths in 2009 as compared to 2008 due to the intensification of public education. Last year, fire gutted the storey building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Electoral Commission, the Ministry of Information, portions of Sodom Gomorrah and the Kumasi Central Market, destroying property, running into millions of Ghana cedis. Mr Okoe said the GNFS would intensify its public education on fire outbreaks by bringing it to the doorstep of the people and targeting markets, car parks and communities. He noted that the capacity of personnel in fighting fire had been strengthened to save more lives and properties. He said the Chief Fire Officer of the GNFS had been able to bring owners and tenants of high rise buildings in the Greater Accra Region to form a seven member committee to raise funds to procure a hydraulic platform to fight-fires on such infrastructure. He said the Chief Fire Officer had also instituted an operation code-named, "Operation Fire Alert" to put in place measures to take care of the dry season. Mr Okoe said a hydrant monitoring team had been instituted to inspect all hydrants, whether active or inactive, in the system. He appealed to the owners and developers of high rise buildings to involve the GNFS in the construction of buildings to ensure that they incorporate' safety gadgets in the buildings to prevent fire outbreak. He advised farmers, palm-wine tappers and the travelling public to be extra careful during the dry season. Mr Okoe called on the public to dial 192 anytime there was a fire outbreak. Source: Daily Graphic