The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Fire Command has intensified safety inspections at student hostels around Takoradi Technical University (TTU), alongside emergency drills designed to test how occupants would respond to a fire.
The operation is intended to ensure hostel operators comply with fire regulations and that students know how to evacuate, use firefighting equipment and assist emergency responders during an incident.
Under the Fire Precaution (Premises) Regulations, 2003, L.I. 1724, non-residential premises – including hostels, hotels, hospitals, schools, shops and workplaces – must meet required fire safety standards and hold valid Fire Safety Certificates issued by the Ghana National Fire Service.
Fire officers working around the university enclave are checking certificates, inspecting firefighting equipment and assessing the preparedness of hostel occupants.
As part of the exercise, firefighters staged a simulated fire in a hostel kitchen. Students evacuated their rooms and gathered at designated assembly points, while some directed the emergency team to the location of the mock incident.
Sekondi Fire Officer ADOI Kenneth Agbevo said the drill was carried out both to test the building’s safety systems and to help firefighters understand its layout before responding to a real emergency.
He praised the students for leaving the building promptly and guiding officers to the kitchen.
“The reason behind this simulation is to test the safety system of the whole building and also familiarise ourselves with the structure. The students did very well. They assembled at the assembly point, and some gave us directions to where the fire was, which was the kitchen. As civilians, they did what they could,” he said.
An inspection of the hostel found fire extinguishers, hose reels, smoke detectors and alarm systems installed on its various floors.
However, Mr Agbevo warned that simply having the equipment in place was insufficient. He said it needed to be maintained properly and occupants trained to use it to control fires before they spread.
He also urged hostel operators in the university community to meet the required standards, warning that further inspections would be conducted.
“We are urging all hostels around this facility to get their firefighting equipment. There’s a programme coming on board, so we’ll be coming around for inspections. If you don’t have this equipment, it’s going to be a problem,” he said.
Richard Atsu Golley, a hostel manager, said the simulation had given students practical experience of using extinguishers and hose reels, as well as showing them how quickly they needed to react.
He said some occupants initially believed the exercise was a genuine fire and immediately brought out firefighting equipment before learning that it was a drill.
“Fire is part of us. We need to prepare to fight fire anytime it happens. We need to train the students here. The Fire Service came to educate us. They taught us how to handle the extinguishers and the hose reels. When they came in, they thought it was a real fire, so they acted quickly,” he said.
Mr Golley thanked the Fire Service, saying the exercise had strengthened students’ understanding of how to operate the equipment.
The Fire Service is urging hostel operators to secure the necessary certificates, maintain their equipment and organise regular emergency drills. Students are also being encouraged to learn the locations of emergency exits and assembly points.
By Ebenezer Atiemo
