The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged Enugu residents to be alert and proactive against fire incidents to minimise human, property and goods losses this harmattan season.
The Acting Zonal Coordinator of NEMA in South-East, Mrs Ngozi Echeazu, gave the advice on Thursday during a one-day Training of Emergency Management Vanguards and Sensitization/Public Awareness Campaign on Fire Outbreak Prevention in Enugu.
The sensitization featured an awareness walk where fliers containing fire prevention messages and emergency numbers were distributed to residents within roads and streets in Enugu metropolis.
Echeazu noted that the Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, had directed that all Nigerians must join in the fight to reduce all forms of disasters especially the ones involving human negligence and mistakes.
According to her, preventing fire outbreaks and its highly destructive menace is everybody’s business.
She said, “We carried out the sensitization and shared fliers to residents on the roads and streets of Enugu and gathered here as well to ensure we are equipped to prevent fire in its entirety.
“We must imbibe on ourselves and teach our children the habit of switching off all appliances when leaving home, school, offices, shops, worship places and other public places.
“As elders, we must stop children playing with matches boxes, lighters and other inflammable materials. Children and youths must be taught the dangers of setting bushes ablaze this season.
Enugu Govt, partners commonwealth enterprise to boost trade, investment
“We should have fire extinguishers or a bucket of sharp sand in homes/shops/offices to fight fire at its cradle; while having State/Federal fire services and NEMA/SEMA emergency numbers, like the ones in the fliers distributed, to call for abnormal fire.”
She also advised businessmen, traders, tanker drivers and commercial farmers to take up insurance policies to indemnify (cover) their business assets, goods and crop against fire incidents and its attendant losses when they do occur.
The Chairman of Enugu South Council Area in Enugu State, Chief Caleb Ani, applauded the Federal Government and NEMA for the sensitization and training coming at an important time to residents of Enugu.
Ani said that his council area would continue to partner with the Federal and State governments on issues of safety and welfare of the people.
Speaking, a Deputy Superintendent of Fire, David Ikor, noted that all fire starts small, adding: “This is the reason why it should not be ignored but ensures it is put off and the incident leading to it permanently prevented.”
“There is a need to be careful against fire outbreaks; however, do not panic during fire outbreaks for you to be coordinated to take prompt actions to extinguish it,” Ikor, who is from Federal Fire Service, Enugu, said.
Collaborating, the acting Executive Secretary of Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mrs Chinasa Mbah, lauded NEMA for the massive sensitization meant to check losses as a result of fire outbreaks.
Mrs Eucharia Onwugbunam, representative of Nigerian Red Cross Society, Enugu, said that the first aid that should be given to fire burns should simply be pouring water to the burn for its heat to subsidise and medical attention sought.
Mr Emeka Oko, Coordinator of Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) in Enugu, said that LEMC and other stakeholders would further take the sensitization message to all nooks and crannies of the state.
One of the beneficiaries of the sensitization, Miss Ginika Obi, said that the sensitization had opened her eyes not to use her mobile phones close to her while cooking with gas within her kitchen.
