By Tony Adibe
The Federal Fire Service (FFS) has called for functional fire extinguishers in vehicles and homes to quickly combat fire outbreaks. He said that within a few minutes, a small fire spark might turn to a monstrous fire that could burn everything into ash without a single person being rescued.
The Assistant Controller General (ACG) of Federal Fire Service, Mr Godwin Ejembi-Egbe, made the call on Wednesday in Enugu while speaking with newsmen on how to contain fire outbreaks at an early stage.
Ejembi-Egbe, who is the Zone Controller of FFS Zone M, which comprises Anambra, Ebonyi, and Enugu States, said that fire preventive lifestyle and early containment arrangement remained the best practices.
He advised that it does not make sense to buy a vehicle worth a million without buying a functional portable fire extinguisher below N10,000 in the vehicle to safeguard it. Likewise, every home must have at least two functional fire extinguishers to respond to incidents of fire very fast, according to him.
He said, “Once you buy a functional fire extinguisher, you can come to our office or meet any FFS personnel or firefighter to teach you how to use it effectively. The fire extinguisher should be placed in a strategic location for all to access when an emergency need arises.”
He advised Nigerians to be careful while handling inflammables, adding that inflammables kept at home or conveyed in a vehicle must be in a safe location, free from smoke or heat. According to him, “Combustible materials should be kept and placed out of reach of children, especially infants; and these materials should not be kept near fireplaces or kitchens, as well as busy passages or corridors within the home.”
