The Lagos State government said it is poised to improving the impact of emergency/disaster operation through effective and efficient emergency management with the use of over 13,000 CCTV cameras to be installed in the major flash points across the state.
General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, disclosed this in a meeting with all the Heads of Emergency Response Team (ERT) at Alausa Secretariat.
Tiamiyu also disclosed that the state government would embark on establishment of additional dispatched centres and stepping up of the Agency’s Monitoring and Surveillance Unit.
According to him, “Over 13,000 Cameras will be installed in the major flash points across the state,” adding that, “This means that the Agency, apart from calls from Lagosians to report emergency cases, analysts can adequately monitor from the Command and Control Centre activities across the state to activate emergency response where and when necessary.
“These combined efforts can only make Lagos safer,” he added further.
Speaking further, the LASEMA General Manager, in a release issued by the Agency’s spokesperson, Adebayo Kehinde, also disclosed that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, had approved the establishment of additional three Dispatch centres at Lekki, Ikorodu Road and Badagry.
According to him, this will complement the existing dispatch points located at the LASEMA Response Unit, Cappa Oshodi and the Command and Control Centre, Alausa, thereby improving the response time of emergency management in the state.
Tiamiyu also stated that the Agency was stepping up the activities of Monitoring and Surveillance Unit in preventing and mitigating against unnecessary loss of lives and properties in the state.
The operation, he said, would include monitoring and surveillance activities in domestic, industrial and public facilities in the state which was a paradigm shift from the orthodox strategy of waiting for emergency to occur and then respond.
He noted that this approach was a practical way to reducing emergency/disasters thereby reducing the huge expenses borne by the state government on emergency intervention and relief assistance to victims of various emergencies in the state.
He, however, expressed the need for the general public to partner with the Lagos State government in mitigating, preventing and consequently reducing hazards, risks and vulnerability by ensuring that distress calls on emerging hazards and risks were relayed to the Agency through the toll free line 112/767 for prompt intervention.
Finally, he reiterated that the present administration of Governor Ambode, would not accept back seat or complacency of some individual persons, drivers or organization which might result to huge material  losses and sometimes avoidable fatalities when disaster occur in the state.
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