The firefighters of the Plateau State Fire Service Command stationed along Masallacin Juma’a Street, have decried inadequate diesel to fuel fire trucks to enable them to respond to fire incidents.
The firefighters said the development causes delay in their response to the scene of fire incidents, especially within the city centre of Jos.
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The officials said this on Friday, while fielding questions on why they couldn’t respond to a fire incident at a second-hand goods market, close to the station which destroyed goods worth millions of naira.
An official at the station said: “We were not able to get to the scene because we don’t have diesel in our trucks. And if there is no diesel, there is nothing you can do. That was why we were not able to respond to the incident where fire engulfed properties at the second-hand market.”
Another senior official of the headquarters of the State Fire Service Command confirmed that the non-availability of diesel to fuel their fire trucks had been one of their major challenges which, according to him, was as a result of the dwindling economic situation in the country.
Daily Trust had on Sunday reported how irate youths on Friday evening pelted firefighters and destroyed their fire truck at the said market, for arriving late to extinguish a fire that engulfed the market.
When contacted on the development, the Commissioner for Housing, Brian Daddy, blamed the management of the agency for not doing their job.
He said the government had provided everything to ensure that such emergencies were attended to whenever they occurred.
“We have provided trucks to the stations and there has not been any report by the management of the agency.
“So, as far as the government is concerned, we have provided them everything including diesel,” the Commissioner said.
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