The Federal Government has reiterated its call for collaborative efforts by all tiers of government, corporate bodies as well as individuals, in a bid to check incessant fire disasters in the country.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola made the call yesterday at the commissioning ceremony of a modern aerial fire-fighting vehicle at the Federal Fire Service, Zone F Command, Lagos, in Lagos State.
According to him, “State governments have to raise their game on fire fighting. With the best of efforts, the Federal Government can only supplement states efforts, not replace them. Even local governments should have fire management capability.”
In a speech titled, “Towards National Fire Safety”, Ogbeni Aregbesola said, “without doubt, uncontrolled fires represent a serious security, economic and developmental threat all over the world.
The prevalence of fire incidents in Nigeria is undoubtedly a source of concern to all levels of government and individuals alike, thus the need for collaborative effort to check the menace cannot be overemphasized”
The minster who observed that fire is always an emergency that should be prepare for always, expressed readiness of his ministry to collaborate with the Nigerian Air Force in using aircraft to drop water and firefighting chemical solutions into high rise buildings and other places requiring aerial fire management, adding that it is also making efforts to purchase barges that can be used to throw water from aircraft into bush fires and wild spreading fires.
Ogbeni Aregbesola observed that, most fires would have been extinguished at the putative stage if the simplest fire-fighting equipment had been available.
According to him, “Some fire incidents are natural like volcanoes, lightening and combustible gases in dumpsites. Some are due to negligence. Others are deliberate. Arson, for instance, is deliberate. We should be vigilant at all times and put all safety measures in place. It is very important also that our buildings are fire safety compliant”.
“Fire is always an emergency and we should prepare for it as such. A small liquid fire extinguisher would save vehicles from burning while motorists without them stand the risk of getting their vehicles burnt down from a little spark”
The minister, who noted that prevention is better than cure, stated that it is always better to prevent fire.
While restating Federal Government’s commitment to safeguarding of lives and property, Ogbeni Aregbesola said that the present Administration will not relent in its efforts towards making policies, resources and strategies for a safer Nigeria.
The minister commended the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration for consistently ensuring that the Federal Fire Service is adequately equipped to carry out its mandate of protecting lives and property against the menace of uncontrolled fires as well as natural disasters.
Ogbeni Aregbesola who said that hitherto, FFS was only present in Lagos and Abuja as Federal Capital Territories respectively, with obsolete equipment and epileptic services, stated further that, under the present administration, the Agency has spread to nearly all the States of the Federation, noting that in the year 2020 alone, it responded to 3,555 distress calls during which N1.351 trillion worth of property and 1,110 human lives were saved from fire.
He informed that the Federal Executive Council at its meeting two weeks ago, approved the procurement of 94 fire service vehicles which include 44 fire trucks, 15 water tankers, 15 Rapid Intervention Vehicles and 20 Basic Life Support Ambulances; in addition to 106 modern fire-fighting trucks and vehicles procured by the Federal Fire Service between 2016 and 2020.
