Airport emergency plan needs review – Expert

Former Commandant of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Group Capt. John Ojikutu, rtd, has advocated constant review of Airport emergency plan to give room for a coordinated response to any emergency within and outside the airport.

Ojikutu spoke in Lagos on Saturday during the celebration of the International Firefighters’ Day celebration organized by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)’s Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service (ARFFS).

He spoke just as FAAN commended the Federal Government for prioritizing fire prevention in the sector with the recent acquisition of a fire-fighting simulator.

Ojikutu who spoke on the theme, “Upscaling Inter-agency collaboration with effective implementation of Airport Emergency Plan” noted that there is no effective inter-agency collaboration which would have ensured swift response to emergency outside the airport.

According to him, airport is a community on its own but the authority should collaborate with other agencies of government for swift rescue operation in case of accident.

He said, “We must have emergency plan that will save lives. We must collaborate with hospitals and medical personnel. Up till today, no effective inter-agency collaboration.

“According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the aerodrome rescue and firefighting service personnel are meant to rescue and not to recover.

“We must continuously review airport emergency plan. If an emergency occurs, how many people are you going to call? You must draw up a list of relevant agencies.

The Director Operations, FAAN, Captain Rabi’u Yadudu said FAAN’s Aerodrome and rescue and firefighting department was well equipped with the facilities and manpower to perform optimally.

He said the recent acquisition of a fire simulator by the Federal Government was an indication of the readiness of the authority to respond quickly to any emergency. “This is a quantum leap in the countryside lists of achievements”, he said.