The Federal Fire Service (FFS), FCT Command has sensitised commuters on the need to board commercial vehicles with only functional fire extinguishers.
The sensitisatiin carried out on Tuesday at Kukwaba Modern Market and Transit Park in Kubwa, Abuja, is part of activities lined up to commemorate the 2026 National Fire Service Week.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme for the week is “Building a Fire Safety for Resilient Nigeria:One Community at a time”.
Speaking at the event, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Banarbas Anyam, reiterated that it was imperative for drivers and passengers to be aware of fire safety measures.
Anyam educated commercial drivers, commuters and other road users on basic fire prevention measures and the importance of taking proactive steps to prevent vehicle fires.
He said that passengers had the right to be concerned about their safety before boarding any commercial vehicle.
He therefore advised commuters to check and ensure that the vehicle they intended to board was equipped with a functional fire extinguisher to tackle car fires as safety and fire outbreaks prevention was the responsibility of all.
The public relations officer also called on commercial drivers to equip their vehicles with Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) fire extinguishers, stressing that it was the right extinguisher for car fires.
He further recommended at least a six Kilo Grammes fire extinguisher for better effectiveness in the event of a car fire outbreak.
Anyam also called for accessible positioning, appropriate maintenance and timely change of expired extinguishers
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the firefighters conducted a practical demonstration on the proper use of fire extinguishers.
Anyam said that the demonstration was aimed at equipping drivers and commuters with the knowledge and confidence required to take immediate action during the early stages of fire before escalation.
In an interview with NAN at the park, a commercial driver, Aliyu Sani, expressed enthusiasm over the training and welcomed the initiative.
Sani said that he enjoyed the practical training and would try to sustain the knowledge gained.
He however said that he wished he could experiment with fire extinguishers as he was constrained to using the available one provided by his vehicle owner.
Similarly, a commuter who pleaded anonymity applauded the service for the campaign.
She said it was remarkable to see men of the fire service appear early in the morning to educate residents.
She however said that it was almost impossible to check for extinguishers before boarding commercial vehicles.
According to her, most commercial drivers don’t have extinguishers and for those who have, they are probably expired.
