Enugu State Government says it will set up special fire safety mobile court in 2022 to ensure that buildings in the state conform to required fire safety rules.
Chief Fire Safety Officer of the state, Chief Okwudili Ohaa, disclosed this while speaking with the phenomenal in Enugu on Friday.
Phenomenal reports that Ohaa spoke on the sidelines of “Operation Zero (Fire) Outbreak’’ set up by Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to check yearly losses from fire outbreaks in the state.
He said that the mobile court would be saddled with the responsibility of prosecute owners and caretakers of buildings, both public and private, who failed to adhere to simple but necessary fire protection needs and provisions.
“The court will prosecute offenders who had been previously notified and sensitised on the need to have fire extinguishers in their premises as well as premises with no iota of safety plans or emergency exits.
“We are not going to spare any one as the Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led administration has made huge investments in fire safety announcements in local radio and television stations for more than a year on the need for residents to get fire extinguishers for their homes.
“The state fire officers have carried out enormous education and sensitisation on the need for fire extinguishers in eight council areas, 66 markets and 18 schools in the six educational zones of the state in 2021 alone.
“In each of the fire education or sensitisation, Gov. Ugwuanyi has given free fire extinguishers to the council areas, schools and markets.
“The governor has established fire stations in eight council areas and added new fire-fighting units in Ogbete main market and Timber market, both in Enugu, while recently, we have about three mobile fire-fighting units in densely-populated areas within the metropolis.
“What the state government is asking for, through the fire safety mobile courts, is for individuals and corporate organisations to play their parts in fire prevention in their own small way,” he said.
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Ohaa noted that ‘Operation Zero Outbreak’ was possible with the support of residents by ensuring that there was no further loss in the state through fire outbreaks.
He noted that fire incidents in the state had drastically reduced compared with previous years, adding that no measure taken on fire safety or safety was too much, as there was always room for improvement and innovation.
The chief fire officer said that for 2022, government would ensure that all its offices had fire extinguishers, while the personnel would be well-trained on how to use them early in the year.
“It is a serious matter. We have limited resources but government will not watch its assets being destroyed by fire.
“As a good maintenance culture, government will protect all its offices, equipment and machinery from fire,” he said.
