Edo moves to strengthen fire service

EDO State Governor,  Godwin Obaseki, has restated his resolve to re-position the state fire service by procuring equipment and training the personnel of the agency for effective management of fire emergencies, as part of the state’s new security architecture.
The governor disclosed this while playing host to the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service at the state Government House, Benin City.
He said his administration was ready to invest in the state fire service which needs equipment, support, training and other logistics to effectively discharge its responsibility, although siting paucity of fund as major hindrance to this noble intention.
Obaseki said his administration is determined to collaborate with the federal fire service in the area of capacity building, training, organising the state fire service, and coordinating fire response in the state, noting that the state requires the federal government’s support rather than the state financing a federal government agency.
The Controller-General of Federal Fire Service, Joseph Garba Anebi, who was represented by Deputy Controller-General, South-South Zonal Command of the Federal Fire Service, Chika Njoku, said the federal fire service is expanding her service in the areas of fire prevention, training, awareness creation and fire fighting which aims at minimising the damage of uncontrolled fire outbreaks in the environment.
He requested for better accomodation as the federal fire service is currently operating from the federal secretariat complex, which he said, has no adequate provision for quick response to fire outbreaks and other related emergencies.