Ghana’s Fire Service Faces Equipment Crisis, Minister-Designate Reveals

The Minister-Designate for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has raised serious concerns over the worsening state of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), revealing that the Service has not received a single new fire tender in almost ten years. Speaking during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 24, the Asawase Member of Parliament highlighted the long-standing neglect and severe resource constraints that have hampered the Service’s ability to perform effectively. Muntaka emphasized the critical need for investment in firefighting equipment, pointing out that the absence of updated fire tenders has left the Service ill-prepared to tackle emergency situations.

He noted that the aging and unreliable vehicles are not only putting public safety at risk but are also subjecting firefighters to mounting frustration and criticism from the public due to their inability to respond efficiently to emergencies. “No fire tender has been procured in the last nine or almost ten years,” Muntaka stated, highlighting the gravity of the situation. “Imagine you and I using vehicles that don’t even carry the kind of load the Fire Service vehicles do.



After ten years, how effective can they be? You wake up, try to start the vehicle, and it doesn’t respond. That’s the kind of obsolete equipment we are dealing with.” The Minister-Designate painted a stark picture of the current state of the GNFS, describing how the aging vehicles have become a significant challenge for firefighters in their day-to-day operations.

Under his leadership, Muntaka said, one of his top priorities would be to address these equipment shortfalls, aiming to improve the Fire Service’s capacity to respond swiftly and effectively to fires and other emergencies across the country. Muntaka’s comments have underscored the urgency of reforming the Ghana National Fire Service and securing the necessary resources to enhance its operational capabilities. As the country continues to face growing safety concerns, his proposals have put the spotlight on the need for urgent reforms to protect both the public and the firefighters who serve them.

.