Accordingly, it is imperative that all organisations, and particularly their designated fire wardens, become thoroughly acquainted with the potential causes of fire in their work environment, preventive measures against fire outbreaks, the basic techniques of controlling fires in their early stages and how to follow the proper fire evacuation protocols.

These were the core subject areas at a biennial fire evacuation training programme organised by the management of Achimota Retail Centre for tenants and workers as part of the mall’s routine measures to ensure the safety of life and property on its premises.

About 40 participants, representing different stores operating at the centre, attended the programme.

The two-phased training exercise was run by a team of resource persons from the Amasaman Fire Station, led by ADO1 Christiana Sarkordie, and involved an indoor session of presentations on the causes of different types fires and how to prevent them, followed by an outdoor session, involving practical demonstrations in fire control techniques using different types of extinguishers, fire blankets etc.

“Fire does not announce itself before it breaks out. That’s why it is prudent for every workplace to plan in advance for fire by putting in place the relevant preventive measures,” said ADO2 Agnes Owusu-Boadi who led the presentation on fire prevention and detection.

ADO2 Owusu-Boadi reminded participants that the most basic fire prevention regime in any workplace must include the four key preventive gear, namely, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a fire blanket and a fire alarm, all of which must be functional at all times.                    

She was quick to caution participants against the temptation to play ‘firefighters’ on the event of any fire incident, as that job requires much more technical skills and professional training.

“As representatives of your companies, armed with basic knowledge about fires, you are fire wardens and not fire fighters; and it is your duty to liaise with your colleagues and lead in taking all the necessary steps to prevent fire outbreaks and prevent fires from spreading. It is also your duty to know and to call your local fire station and manage any subsequent evacuation procedures,” she stressed.

During the second session of the training, the firemen conducted drills on how to engage early fires and gave participants hands-on experience as they took turns to control and put out fires using different types of extinguishers.

Mr Ben Appiah Darko, Operations Manager at ARC told reporters that, just like the Centre’s routine emergency fire evacuation drills, the biennial training exercises are important because Management places a high premium on the safety of patrons, tenants, workers and property on its premises.        

Indeed, Achimota Retail Centre, in collaboration with Ghana National Fire Service, National Disaster Management Organisation and the Ghana Police Service, routinely conducts emergency fire evacuation drills to evaluate and sharpen the efficacy of its emergency response capabilities.

Achimota Retail Centre is located at Dome, off the Accra-Nsawam highway and serves a large cluster of communities in the Ga East Municipality. Over the past eight years, the centre has brought modern, secured and convenient one-stop shopping to families residing in the south-eastern quarter of Accra, including Kwabenya and Ashongman Estates, Tantra Hills, Ofankor, Dome and the Achimota township.