Determined to curb the incessant fire outbreaks experienced in Lagos, the State Fire Service has appealed to residents to support its men while performing their duties and ensure that basic rules guiding the use of electrical appliances were strictly adhered to and check same after the days’ work in order to prevent power surge which could lead to fire outbreak.
The Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasaq Fadipe made the appeal at weekend shortly before he delivered a lecture at a one-day workshop on Fire Safety and Management for ivil servants.
The workshop with the theme: "Strategic Fire Control" held at the State Secretariat Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, covered various topics including "Fire Hazards Identification and Control," "Risk Assessment and Control," "First Aid, Firefighting and Evacuation Techniques" and "Fire Drill."
Fadipe explained that the workshop was timely and in line with the policy thrust of the present administration on safety advocacy.
He described fire as one of the oldest tools of human beings which presence has continually been felt in homes and industrial sites, thereby contributing immensely to the economic growth of the nation.
He said contrary to the belief in some quarters that fire outbreaks and other related incidents are divine, the true causes of fire outbreaks are human factors, such as carelessness, recklessness, negligence and lackadaisical behaviors towards safety.
According to Fadipe, Lagos State has accorded priority to fire prevention and disaster management, with the Directorate of Fire Service undergoing aggressive transformation through human capacity building and provision of a number of modern firefighting equipment that would enable fire fighters to respond swiftly to distress calls.
“Safety doesn’t go on holiday; my men respond to distress calls at all time. As fire fighters, we work round the clock to prevent loss of lives and properties.
“Lagosians should not hesitate to call any of our area offices or the state emergency numbers to report any trace of spark before fire do any damage to their properties,” he said.
He lamented that most of the fire incidents that took place in the state recently were avoidable, noting that this had become a source of concern to the government.
“It is against this backdrop that the Directorate has embarked on sensitisation campaigns to motor garages, markets, hospitals and local government secretariats to educate Lagosians on how to prevent and manage fire outbreaks,” he said.
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