The Federal Government has concluded plans to establish fire stations in all the 109 senatorial districts in the country.
The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, FFS, Dr
Olumode Samuel-Adeyemi, made this known when he visited the Singer market in
Kano State on an on-the-spot assessment following the fire incident in the
market on February 14.
This, according to Samuel-Adeyemi, was part of efforts to
mitigate fire disasters and boost safety, protect lives, and secure national
assets in the country.
The CG said that, particularly, a fire post would be
established at Singer market in Kano to reduce and curb recurring fire
outbreaks in the market.
Samuel-Adeyemi, who conveyed the message of the Minister of
Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, sympathised with government and people of Kano
State, particularly residents and traders of Singer market, over the loss of
lives and property worth billions of naira.
He said the visit was part of the ongoing efforts by FFS to
strengthen emergency response and improve safety in public infrastructure.
“I conducted an on-the-spot assessment of affected areas and
met with market leadership to discuss preventive measures.
“Two similar incidents occurred in the market within weeks,
resulting in significant economic loss, to this end, a fire station will be
established within the market to reduce response time to incidents,” he said.
Samuel-Adeyemi appealed to Nigerians to always give right of
way to fire trucks, noting that although firefighters responded to the Singer
Market incident within 20 minutes, but access to the scene was delayed due to
obstruction.
He identified faulty electrical wiring, unsafe fuel storage,
cooking inside shops, use of generators, lithium battery installations, and
unattended electrical appliances as major causes of market fires.
On preventive measures, he said the service has intensified
public education and inspections through its Inspectorate and Enforcement Unit
to ensure compliance with fire safety standards.
He added that the proposed amendment of the Fire Service Act
would strengthen the service’s enforcement powers, including sealing premises
that fail to install required fire safety equipment.
He said that plans to establish fire stations across
senatorial districts and local government areas to widen coverage and improve
rapid response have reached an advanced stage.
“We will collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force and
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to ensure crowd control during fire
incidents.
“We will also construct water reservoirs in major markets
nationwide to enable firefighters access water promptly during emergencies,” he
said.
He commended the Kano State Fire Service and other emergency
agencies for their cooperation and assured continued federal support in
equipment and training.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com