Harmattan: NEMA chief calls for action against fire outbreaks to prevent fatalities, financial losses

Director General of, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Habib Ahmed has urged stakeholders to come up with measures and procedures for averting fire outbreaks, early detection and timely response to save lives and minimise economic losses.

Ahmed who made this observation in a statement on Thursday in Abuja as an early warning to Nigerians against fire outbreaks during the harmattan regretted that many lives and properties worth billions of naira have been lost to uncontrolled fires across the nation.

According to the DG, in addition to the loss of lives and properties, there are also incalculable indirect fiscal losses due to the collapse of investments, diminished property value and loss of business incomes.

He called on government agencies, corporate organisations, private businesses and individuals to leverage insurance companies to safeguard and protect their properties and businesses as a form of risk transfer in case of fire and other unforeseen disaster incidences.

He said: “As part of our responsibility to save lives and safeguard properties, NEMA deemed it necessary to call on all stakeholders including State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs), all tiers of governments, Fire Services, Health Services, Security Agencies, Rescue Services, Communities, NGOs, CBOs, Schools, Markets, Factories and the media to help generate and disseminate the right awareness and prepare the public for necessary responses to fire disasters.

“All hands must be on deck to reduce fire disasters and all associated human and material losses across Nigeria and beyond.

“Government agencies, corporate organizations, private businesses and individuals should endeavour to leverage insurance companies to safeguard and protect their properties and businesses as a form of risk transfer in case of fire and other unforeseen disaster incidences.

“The main goal of NEMA and its partners is to save lives and properties and no effort and resources committed is too much or too little in this regard.

“However, when not controlled, fire can cause great destruction and injury to humans and the entire ecosystem. A fire outbreak has remained a major disaster in Nigeria and the world over. In the recent past, many lives and properties worth billions of Naira were lost to uncontrolled fires across the nation. In addition to the loss of lives and properties, there are incalculable indirect fiscal losses due to the collapse of investments, diminished property value and loss of business incomes.

“The onset of the dry season characterized by typical harmattan winds with little or no moisture content coupled with the abundance of dry combustible matter in form of dry vegetation and agricultural wastes constitute a strong driver to fire outbreaks.

“While there is no one single pattern of when and how fire outbreaks may occur, experience has proved that the rate of occurrence and intensity of damage and losses are more rampant during the dry season, between December and March each year. Devastating fire infernos could occur in homes, schools, markets, factories, farms and several other work and recreation places.

“The best firefighting technique is prevention. The best way to prevent a fire is to create awareness and develop a culture of safety consciousness among authorities, communities and individuals.” He said.