Federal Fire Service commissions N1.9bn fire fighting trucks

TRACKING___The Federal Fire Service (FFS) on Tuesday in Abuja, commissioned 10 modern fire fighting trucks worth N1.9 billion to combat fire outbreaks in the country.

On November 7, 2018, the Federal Executive Council approved N11 billion for the purchase of 22 fire fighting vehicles for the Federal Fire Service.

Inaugurating the trucks, Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, said the immediate deployment of the trucks to zones would help fight incessant fire outbreaks in the country.

He urged the service zonal offices and training schools to optimise and effectively use the assets acquired to improve fire coverage and enhance emergency response operations to complement state fire services.

The minister warned state governors with the notion to privatise government fire fighting trucks to desist from the act and return the already possessed ones to the state fire service.

“The trucks are not for private purposes, buy yours and we will train your fire men for free without charge but will not give you our fire trucks. Do not confiscate fire trucks and desist from such acts,” he said.

Aregbesola advised the service to intensify efforts at inspecting buildings certification and if need be, seal off buildings that fail to comply until they were ready to be compliant.

“This is essential because we have noted that many grand buildings, especially public buildings, are not fire and other disaster compliant. Many of them do not have fire hydrants, assembly points nor emergency exit routes,” he added.

Earlier, the Controller General, Federal Fire Service, Mr. Liman Ibrahim, said that the newly commissioned trucks would be deployed to seven states of the federation; Nassarawa, Kaduna, Kwara, Oyo, Edo, Bayelsa and Anambra states.

He said a special intervention fund approved by the federal government to address issues of outstanding debts to contractors for the procurement of fire fighting trucks made the acquisition of the trucks possible.

“Although, the fund not fully released, has enabled the service pay contractors for the delivery of the available trucks. Three more trucks will arrive the country this week and will be deployed to three states; Abia, Kebbi and Ondo states.

“If the present tempo of funding is sustained to enable us meet our obligations to the contractors before the year ends, we shall have fire stations in all state capitals and the FCT,” he said.

Ibrahim noted that only 19 states including the FCT had full complement of fire fighting trucks and personnel.