The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has found 23 fire hydrants at the Ministries enclave in Accra that are not working. The Greater Accra Regional Fire Command, working with Ghana Water Limited (GWL), carried out an inspection aimed at improving firefighting readiness. The check covered about 30 fire hydrants in the area.
Only five hydrants were fully functional with high water pressure, while two others had low water pressure. The rest, 23 in total, were non-functional. This raises concerns about the availability of water during fire emergencies in one of Accra’s most important government areas.
The Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) was also found to have no fire hydrant on its premises. ACFO II Rashid Nisawu, the Greater Regional Fire Officer, urged the CAGD management to work with the GNFS and Ghana Water Limited to install a fire hydrant at their facility.
The inspection included government offices such as the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), 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 GNFS said the exercise is part of a proactive push to identify and fix faulty fire hydrants before the fire season starts. Restoring these hydrants would improve emergency response and protect lives and property during fires.
The discovery points to gaps in fire safety infrastructure in a critical area of Accra. With most hydrants out of service, firefighters could face serious challenges in accessing water quickly when responding to fire outbreaks in government offices and public facilities.
The GNFS’s report was posted on Facebook on September 26, showing the scale of the problem and the need for urgent repairs and upgrades. The agency’s partnership with Ghana Water Limited is expected to help in restoring the non-functional hydrants to operational status.
Fire hydrants provide the water supply firefighters depend on to control and extinguish fires. A lack of working hydrants can slow response times and increase the risk of fire damage. This is especially concerning in the Ministries enclave, where many government agencies and public institutions are located close together.
The GNFS’s inspection revealed a mixed situation: only seven hydrants had any water pressure—five high, two low—and the rest were dry or non-functional. This uneven distribution of working hydrants means some buildings may be more vulnerable to fires due to inadequate water access.
The absence of a fire hydrant at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department stands out. ACFO II Rashid Nisawu called on the department’s management to “collaborate with the GNFS and Ghana Water Limited to facilitate the installation of a fire hydrant at the facility.”
This call underlines the need for all government institutions to maintain basic fire safety infrastructure and coordinate with relevant agencies to prevent avoidable fire disasters.
The GNFS said the inspection is a way to get ahead of fire risks by ensuring hydrants are functional before the dry season increases the likelihood of fires. The agency plans to repair and restore the faulty hydrants to boost emergency preparedness in the enclave.
For now, the situation shows that despite the presence of fire hydrants in the Ministries area, many are not usable. This exposes a gap in safety measures that could have serious consequences if a fire breaks out.
The GNFS’s efforts to fix this problem will have to overcome technical and administrative challenges, including cooperation from government departments and water authorities.
The Ministries enclave is home to many important offices, making fire safety essential to protecting government operations and public services. How quickly the non-functional hydrants can be repaired will influence how well the GNFS can respond to emergencies in this critical zone.
According to 3News.
