The Federal Fire Service Controller-General, Liman Ibrahim, has implored Nigerians to act as volunteer firefighters to curb fire menace in the country.
Ibrahim said this during the inauguration of one modern firefighting truck and two ambulances in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The deployed fire truck and ambulances were among the recently acquired 20 life support ambulances and seven fire fighting trucks by the Federal Fire Service.
He said that if citizens on ground at fire scenes attend to fire before the arrival of fire firefighters, the excesses of fire menace will be curtailed.
“Nigerians should be auxiliary firefighters like in developed countries as that will help reduce the impact on us and reduce the number of fire outbreaks,” he said, adding: “In developed countries, in a situation where you have 50 firefighters, only 20 are on government payroll while the remaining 30 are volunteers.
“Before the arrival of firefighters they are already doing something so the fire will not spread but curtail it to its origin and control it.
“What is important in firefighting is control, but many people don’t understand when we are controlling fire.
“When property C is on fire, we need to protect property B and D so we lay emphasis more on the property that are not on fire.
“Because what is on fire is already on fire so we are telling citizens to be auxiliary firefighters.”
Ibrahim called on the state government to provide allocation of utility vehicles, recruitment of young firefighters and approval of paramilitary salary structure to the state fire service.
Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State said the asset deployed would boost the capacity of the state fire service to respond to fire disasters.
Represented by Abubakar Alhassan, the Executive Secretary of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, the governor said there was the need for rigorous sensitisation campaign in the state.
The Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Bamalli, said at the local council level, sensitisation is ongoing on how to prevent and curtail fire if it occurs.
Bamalli said: “This commissioning is the first of its kind in this part of the country and we ensure everyone that we will do our possible best to ensure these machines are well kept.
“We appeal to the fire service that going forward in your next budget that you include the acquisition of utility vehicles to be your next budget.
“We also appeal to the representative of the government to inform the Governor of all said here and we believe he will take action where needed.”
The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Shehu Shinkafi, said the Ministry would continue to support fire service financially because of its essential services.
Ahmed appealed to the emir to advice people at the grassroots to take the gesture seriously because it took a lot of investment and funding to acquire.
She said: “Guide this asset jealously because while fighting fire we see people vandalising these equipment, so please always provide security cover for those fighting fire.
“Out of frustration at times the public might not understand and might be called when the fire has gone beyond recovery and any damage to this truck requires a lot of money to repair.”
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
