Mukaila Ola
Fire safety education may soon be introduced into the curriculum of both primary and security schools in the country in order to sensitize and improve the fire fighting ability of Nigerians.
Speaking at the weekend at the emergency response training for young people at the headquarters of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) in Abuja, the acting Controller General of the Service, DCG Samson Karebo, said efforts are currently ongoing to introduce fire safety education in both primary and secondary schools.
He said: “We are working with the Ministry of Education to introduce Fire Safety education into school curriculum.”
The acting CG who took some selected students from primary and secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory through some fire fighting techniques, said when this is introduced into the curriculum instances of fire outbreaks would be drastically reduced as many Nigerians would be ingrained with the needed skills to prevent fire outbreaks and fight it when occurred.
He noted that the FSS responded to 2,845 SOS distress-calls in which 136 lives and property worth N3 trillion were lost. But the FSS was able to save 587 lives, rescue 260 persons and save property worth N18.9 trillion.
Karebo while insisting that the stock of the FSS has grown in leaps and bounds as the agency has contributed significantly to national security – in the protection of lives and property, said efforts are being made to reduce fire ontbreaks in 2022.
He appealed for support from Nigerians, asking that: “Nigerians should support the fire service and get acquainted with the fire emergency numbers nearest to them.
“The public should give the right of way whenever the fire equipment is on rescue mission and they must not attack fire men.”
Karebo while revealing that the fire service will be now be firm with the enforcement of fire safety code, called on the market women and market leaders to come together and make arrangements to have rapid fire emergency response equipments that can fight fire before the arrival of the big equipment by the fire service.