Protection of Lives, Property Key Policy of Buhari’s Administration, Says Aregbesola

•FG inaugurates multi-billion-naira fire house

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has said the protection of lives and property has been one of the key policies of President Muhammadu Buhari in the past eight years.

To this end, he said that the federal government had 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).

Aregbesola, who inaugurated the newly established Metropolitan Fire Station FCT Command located in Kubwa, Abuja, 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.

Aregbesola said the outgoing administration of 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 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 an 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,” he stated.

He added that many firefighting officers were sent abroad, to the United Kingdom, Dubai, Belarus, etc., for train-the-trainer and other advanced courses.

According to him, some of these officers are now the master trainers that are training other officers on modern firefighting, disaster and emergency management etc.

He added, “Numerous Local trainings 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 creating13 zonal headquarters after it had ensured that it had presence in all the 36 States of the federation including the FCT.”

To this extent, he explained that the FFS had built 13 zonal headquarters, while others were at various stages of completion.

“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.

The minister was also at the Federal Fire Training School, Sheda, Abuja, where he unveiled the multi-billion-naira House, describing it as the, “soul and heart” of the National Fire Academy.

He noted that the pre-engineered and pre-fabricated structure incorporated the recommendation of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and meet their requirement, adding that the customised training prop was to meet specific training needs of firefighters.

The Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Engr. Jaji Abdulganiyu, in his remark said the Metropolitan Fire Station in Kubwa, was 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.

And providing support and assistance to the local community and also act as a training center for fire personnel, equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to protect lives and property.