The Federal Government has established 13 metropolitan fire stations in some cities across the country after it had ensured the presence of the Federal Fire Service in all the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who commissioned the newly established Metropolitan Fire Station FCT Command located in Kubwa, Abuja, on Tuesday, said the 13 Zonal Fire Station Headquarters also called Metro Fire Station were positioned strategically in the suburban areas for rapid fire and rescue interventions to the community in a much shorter life-saving time.
He noted that the protection of the lives and property of the people of Nigerians has been of utmost importance to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, saying this was why the Ministry of Interior has received the President’s serious attention.
Aregbesola said the outgoing administration of the President has also revamped the Federal Fire Service from a moribund institution to a first-class disaster and emergency management agency.
He recalled that when the Administration came to power in 2015, the Federal Fire Service (FFS) was only fitfully represented in Abuja and Lagos with two functional fire engines.
“But the FFS is now represented in all the states of the federation with state-of-the-art firefighting and disaster management infrastructure.
“As a result of this, the Federal Government provided 106 modern firefighting trucks to the FFS. Two years ago, the Federal Government also provided an infrastructure upgrade comprising of 44 firefighting engines, 15 water tankers, 15 rapid intervention fire engines and 20 basic life support ambulances.
“In the same year, we commissioned aerial firefighting equipment designed for skyscrapers in Lagos. It was the first of its kind in Nigeria. Indeed, we have grown in leads and bounds.
“Several firefighting officers were sent abroad, to the United Kingdom, Dubai, Belarus, etc., for train-the-trainer and other advanced courses. Some of these officers are now the master trainers that are training other officers on modern firefighting, disaster and emergency management etc.
“Numerous Local pieces of training were also done, cutting across cadres, squads and ranks in both the National Fire Academy and other credible training institutes across the country.
“These trainings are for human capacity building to ensure optimum service delivery, enhance professionalism and maintain required standards in operational and administrative disciplines.
“The FFS has also been recalibrated spread-wise to enhance administrative and operational performances by creating 13 zonal headquarters after it had ensured that it had a presence in all the 36 states of the federation including the FCT.
“To this extent, it has built 13 zonal headquarters, one of which we are commissioning today. The others are at various stages of completion, though, but I believe, this is a feat worth noting too.
“It will be right to say that attention and resources devoted by the current Administration into the Federal Fire Service since 2015 is more than whatever has been put into it since its establishment in 1901,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, Aregbesola, was also at the Federal Fire Training School, Sheda, Abuja to unveil the multi-billion naira House, which he described as the “soul and heart” of the National Fire Academy.
He noted that the pre-engineered and pre-fabricated structure incorporated the recommendation of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and meet their requirement, adding that the customized training prop is to meet the specific training needs of firefighters.
Controller-General of Federal Fire Service, Jaji Abdulganiyu, in a remark, said the Metropolitan Fire Station in Kubwa is a great asset to the local community and would help to reduce the risk of fire-related incidents, serve as a hub for fire services in the region, providing support and assistance to the local community and also act as a training centre for fire personnel, equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to protect lives and property.
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