In an effort to tackle the menace of disasters caused by fire outbreaks, the Management of the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency FEMA has taken sensitization campaigns to markets in the capital city to mitigate occurrences.
The Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation of the Agency, Mrs Frolence Wenegeame, led a team of the sensitization campaigns to Karmu Market that suffered several fire outbreaks leading to lost property worth millions of naira.
Addressing the businessmen and women in the market, Mrs Wenegeame stated that, the agency has the vision to entrench a culture of public safety and effective citizens participation in emergency Management.
She said preventing fire outbreaks is critical to the survival of businesses and advised them to have fire extinguishers in their various shops as an emergency response.
Mrs. Wenegeame advised residents of the city to avoid sleeping and cooking in shops as doing so may ignite fire that could consume lives and property.
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She encouraged the businessmen to dispose off garbage properly and avoid setting them in fire within the marked premises.
She said, “Put off all your electric appliances in your shops when closing from their businesses. Prevention is better than cure.”
She warned them against keeping petrol, kerosene and other inflammable items in their shops to avoid fire.
Mrs. Wenegeame called on the businessmen to inform the agency whenever there this any sign of danger in the market for immediate intervention.
She presented an emergency toll-free line 112 for a quick response from the agencies to the market businessmen.
An official of the Fire Service Supretendent Sarki Abdul-Rahman Informed them of numerous preventive ways of quenching fire outbreaks.
He advised them to avoid constructing extensions within the market to avoid congestion.
The Secretary of Karmu Market, Mr. Emmanuel Onah who appreciated the sensitization appealed to the FCT Minister to rebuild the market.
Appeal for the establishment of a Fire Service sub-station to help during emergencies.
A simulation exercise was carried out by the fire service officers on how to quench fire during emergencies.
