Dry season: FFS cautions Nigerians against fire outbreak
NAN-DS-7
Fire
By Angela Atabo
Abuja, Nov.2016 (NAN) The Controller General, Federal Fire Service (FFS), Mr Joseph Anebi, has urged Nigerians to guard against uncontrolled fire outbreaks as the country is experiencing dry season.
Anebi, who was represented by Mr Machie Emmanuel, Head of Operations of the service, made the call while declaring open the 2016 National Fire Safety Week in Abuja on Monday.
He said the event was held annually to create awareness on the dangers of uncontrolled fire in the nation’s environment especially during the harmattan period.
According to him, this year’s event with the theme “Minimising fire outbreaks: Precaution is the Answer’’, will provide the opportunity to educate the public on the threat posed by uncontrolled fires.
“Uncontrolled Fires are avoidable if people understand how they start, know the inherent dangers and take necessary precautions to checkmate the threat.
“We are in the season of incessant fire outbreaks, quite a lot of fires are recorded between November and March of every year because of the dry wind which readily aids ignition and fire spread.
“Available records show that during this period, the frequency of the fire outbreaks is about three times more than is experienced in other seasons,’’ he said.
The controller-general said it was a known fact that most fire outbreaks resulted from human failings.
“Our expectation at the end of this awareness programme is that the general public will be equipped with the relevant knowledge and skill to cope with fire-related emergencies especially at the incipient stages.
“Our message to the public is clear, the threat of fire is real and the possibility of its occurrence is quite high if appropriate fire safety precautions are not taken,’’ he said.
Anebi urged Nigerians to collectively tackle the menace to free the country from the shackles of uncontrolled fires which wrecked havoc to the Nigeria’s economy.
He said the activities earmarked for this year’s programme included parades and drills, exhibition of fire service tools and awareness on fire prevention measures through the media.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who was represented by AVM Charles Otegbade, urged Nigerians to take fire safety seriously in order to save lives and property.
Abubakar said the best way to fight fire was to prevent it, adding that safety first and when this was achieved, the work of the fire service would be easier.
He stressed the need for Nigerians to ask themselves safety questions everyday like “what have I done to prevent fire today, and what have I done to put fire off”.
According to him, the consciousness of these questions will go a long way in creating safety awareness on prevention of fire outbreaks in Nigeria.(NAN)
ATAB/ADA/AMY
Edited by Deji Abdulwahab and Abdullahi Yusuf