The Brong Ahafo Regional Fire Officer, Divisional Officer I Paul Opoku has given a two-week ultimatum to fuel service station operators in the region to acquire fire safety certificates or face possible sanctions. The move, the fire officer explained, is aimed at compelling the operators in the oil and gas industry to take precautionary measures to avoid fire outbreaks in their stations to protect lives and properties. The stern warning comes in the wake of recent gas leakages in some parts of the region, especially the Sunyani Municipality, which would have caused a great havoc in the country but for the timely intervention of the personnel of Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). “We have experienced gas leakages in the Sunyani Municipality, petrol tankers fires on the outskirts of Techiman, Atebubu and these have become necessary for us to be on the guard,” DOI Opoku stated. Addressing over 300 fuel service station managers and attendants drawn from all the gas and filling stations across the region at a day’s workshop in Sunyani, DOI Opoku revealed that the regional command of GNFS had given a two-week grace period to the operators to attain all the necessary fire safety facilities after which personnel of the service would embark on inspection tours to sanction those who fail to meet the fire safety standard. According to him, the GNFS by Act 537 and LI 1724 has a role to play to ensure the safety of the citizenry and the country as a whole. He disclosed that in the first quarter of this year, Brong Ahafo region recorded a total of 123 fire outbreaks, including 41 cases of domestic fire, 3 industrial, 11 vehicular, 9 electrical, 53 bushfire and 6 others, with a total damage cost of GH¢207,617. DOI Opoku further revealed that the rescue and road traffic accident division recorded a total of 10 accidents with 38 injuries and 5 deaths between January and March this year. The seminar, the first of its kind in the region, was geared towards equipping owners and attendants of the fuel stations with the requisite knowledge about safety, precautionary measures, fire fighting methods and procedures of acquiring land, among others. Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Town and Country Planning advised the players in the oil and gas industry to adopt safety measures that would safeguard their properties, clients and the environment. The officials also expressed their readiness to enforce the law to ensure that the operators adhere to laid down rules. Source: Daily Guide