The Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG), Mr Samson Asaki Awingobit, has defended personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service following allegations of assault against civilians, including a journalist.

Speaking on Accra FM’s Citizen Show on Tuesday, hosted by Nana Otu Darku, Mr. Awingobit stressed that fire service personnel are human beings and should be allowed to defend themselves when they are attacked in the line of duty.

According to him, tensions often arise at emergency scenes due to heightened emotions from community members, especially when firefighters arrive after significant damage has already occurred.

“The fire service personnel are also human beings.

Sometimes when they are called to a scene, people are already angry because harm has been done before their arrival. Instead of calmly giving them proper directions and information, some community members confront them aggressively, which can lead to unfortunate incidents,” he said.

Mr. Awingobit noted that it is unfair to assume that firefighters deliberately attack civilians or journalists without provocation, adding that such actions are usually acts of self-defense rather than intentional misconduct.

“I don’t believe it is deliberate that they would see a journalist and still beat him without any provocation.

They were likely defending themselves. The fire service is a human institution, made up of people who are husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers,” he emphasised.

He recalled an incident from last year where a woman reportedly threatened to stone firefighters because they did not arrive at an emergency scene on time, highlighting the growing hostility emergency responders face during operations.

Mr. Awingobit questioned why firefighters should be attacked when they are called upon to perform their lawful duties of saving lives and protecting property.

While condemning any form of attack on journalists, he urged the public and stakeholders to exercise restraint and allow investigations to be conducted professionally by the police.

“We condemn the assault on journalists, but we must also be mindful that firefighters are human.

They are there for us—to quench fires, protect property, and save lives.

The police should be allowed to take their time to investigate so the truth can come out professionally,” he added.

He also cautioned against rushed public statements by institutions, including the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the PRO  of the GNS, insisting that due process must be followed to ensure fairness to all parties involved.