Fighting fires, fighting for breath: The hidden health toll on Ghana’s firefighters – and the support that still falls short
Station Officer Abubakar Mohammed has spent fifteen years running into burning buildings so that other people could get out alive. Now, as he thinks about retirement, one question won't leave him alone: will he leave the Ghana National Fire Service with healthy lungs, or with a disease he can't see?
Station Officer Abubakar Mohammed has spent fifteen years combating fires in Ghana, but now wonders if his career will leave him with healthy lungs or a disease unseen by the naked eye. "Sometimes you sit down and you're asking yourself questions, how are you going to end? Will you retire healthy, or will you retire sick?" he ponders.
Firefighting worldwide shares this concern, but in Ghana, the issue remains unspoken and unstudied. Abubakar's worries stem from the lack of proper equipment during his early days. As a young recruit, Damango Fire Station's fire engine was already broken, forcing officers to use motorbikes and buckets of water for firefighting. Breathing apparatus, essential for breathing clean air inside smoke-filled buildings, is still unavailable to many officers in Ghana.
During a routine check-up, a doctor informed Abubakar to stop smoking, unaware that his lungs had already been damaged by years of inhaling smoke on the job. Smoke from fires contains tiny particles (PM2.5) and toxic gases like carbon monoxide, which can cause immediate harm or lead to long-term health issues, including lung scarring and cancer.
These risks are well-documented in other countries, but Ghana lacks similar studies. Instead, officers like Abubakar silently endure the consequences of years of smoke inhalation without any data or official records linking their illnesses to their work. Station Officer Zakaria Yakubu, a four-year veteran, faces the same challenges as Abubakar, with even fewer resources.
Ghana's fire service suffers from a shortage of fire engines and breathing apparatus, leading officers to share limited equipment, risking their health with inadequate protection and disinfection. The most alarming fear for Yakubu is running out of oxygen mid-fire, forcing him to "perform magic" as he inhales the very smoke he's fighting.
With no accessible health insurance, Yakubu and his colleagues face an uncertain future, battling unseen dangers in the line of duty.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
