The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced a reduction in its emergency response time from five to three minutes, aiming to minimise casualties and save lives and properties.
Mrs Florence Wenegieme, Director of Forecasting, Response, and Mitigation at FEMA, made this announcement during a sensitization campaign to commemorate the 2023 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction in Abuja on Tuesday.
The sensitization campaign, themed “Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future for All,” began on October 4 across the six Area Councils of the FCT and included outreach at the Bwari Area Council Secretariat, Abuja, and the Palace of Esu Sa-Bwaya of Bwari (the Chief of Bwari), Ibrahim Yaro.
Wenegieme explained that the three-minute response time became achievable after training community structures to serve as first responders to emergencies in their respective communities.
She identified these community structures as local divers, emergency vanguards, disaster marshals, town criers, volunteers, and other entities like youth and women groups.
They have been adequately trained in emergency response through drills and simulations, equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills.
Furthermore, FEMA has procured power bikes for its agency officials to navigate the traffic in Abuja and reach the emergency scene within three minutes.
According to Wenegieme, emergency management is a multisectoral responsibility involving everyone, including school-aged children.
“Community members are usually the first responders to an emergency because it happens within their community.
They have been adequately trained to know exactly what to do during emergencies and rescue operations before FEMA officials arrive.
This quick response will ensure that more lives and properties are saved,” she added.
Wenegieme emphasised that the awareness campaign aimed to ensure that residents identify disaster risks in their respective communities and understand how to prevent and mitigate disasters to minimise their impact.
She also stressed the need for community members to pay attention to vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the blind, the elderly, and people living in disaster-prone areas.
In response, the Esu of Bwari Yaro pledged to cooperate with FEMA in spreading disaster risk reduction messages to every household in the Bwari area council.
Earlier, Mr John Bagaya, the Council Chairman of Bwari Area Council, mentioned that the council had inaugurated its Local Emergency Management Committee to respond to emergencies at the local level.
He emphasised the council’s proactive measures to avert disasters, including clearing refuse, desilting drainages, and sensitising residents against building in water- and flood-prone areas.
He assured FEMA of the council’s support in ensuring that community members were educated and mobilised to take action against disasters.
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