Ports Safety: NPA boss commissions multi-million naira fire engine at KLT

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, has commissioned a new fire service engine at the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Fire Service Command.

The NPA boss, who was represented by the outgoing Port Manager, Tin Can Island Port, Abubakar Umar, said the NPA remained committed to the safety of lives and property.

Umar has been redeployed to the NPA headquarters to head the Tarriff and Billing division.

Usman urged the personnel of the fire service unit to make effective use of the equipment in combating fire outbreak, just as she requested that the Command furnish the management with the status of all the fire engines both at the main port in Tin Can and KLT to assess their workability and need for additional procurement.

According to the Managing Director, “The management takes the issue of fire service very serious because whenever there is a fire incident, which does not give notice, there must be something on ground to fight it. We have recorded one within this terminal and we thank God it was quickly put off.

“The fire engines you have, maintain them effectively. Make good use of them. When you make good use of them, then the management will be happy. But if you don’t make good use of them, the money that would have been use to buy more new ones will end up with repairs,” she said.

The Head of the KLT Fire Service Command, Ameachi Ikechukwu, expressing appreciation to the NPA management, said the procurement of the fire engine would help strengthen the command in its mandate of quick response to emergencies.

He noted that being a mini machine, the fire engine would be easy to manouevre within the location of the command, which he said was highly prone to traffic.

Speaking on the features of the fire engine, Ikechukwu said, “The fire truck is multipurpose. It can fight fire to any capacity. It has extra features in the area of replenishment of water. Unlike the old model where there is only one means of replenishment, you can pump water from a water source and through what we call hard suction.

“Part of the reason why management went for a mini fire tender is because of the topography of the environment we find ourselves as regards accessibility issue. All the years, we have had this problem of accessibility, but with this machine and a good source of water, we can put it to use for three days onward.”

He appealed to the management for support in the area of manpower and in repairing some of the command’s old fire engines to cover both fire service stations at Tin Can and KLT