The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has reported a significant reduction in prank calls during the first quarter of 2025, marking 31.52% decline compared to the same period in 2024.
According to a press release dated May 7, 2025, a total of 131,862 prank calls were received between January and March 2025.
This is a sharp decrease from the 192,545 prank calls recorded during the corresponding months in 2024.
The GNFS attributed this positive development to intensified public education and sustained advocacy campaigns conducted through various channels, including the media, schools, communities, and digital platforms.
“The decline is mainly due to GNFS’s intensified and consistent public education and advocacy efforts across the media, schools, communities, and digital platforms, which have effectively raised awareness about the dangers and legal consequences of prank calls”, it said.
These efforts, the GNFS noted, have helped raise awareness about the dangers of prank calls and the legal consequences associated with such behaviors.
“Prank calls seriously undermine emergency response by wasting critical resources and delaying timely intervention, which poses serious risks to lives and property,” the statement said.
The GNFS also reiterated that making prank calls to emergency lines is a criminal offense under Ghanaian law and warned the public against taking such actions lightly.
Acting Chief Fire Officer, Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sapong, commended the public for their responsiveness to the campaign against prank calls and encouraged continued cooperation.
“The improvement we are seeing is a testament to the impact of public education and the willingness of the public to do the right thing,” she said.
The GNFS reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing emergency response services and urged the public to report fire incidents promptly via the toll-free numbers 192 or 112, or through the hotlines 0302772446 and 0299340383 for swift assistance.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
