Akwa Ibom’s epileptic Fire Service

 

BY PRISCILLA CHRISTOPHER

Issues of fire incidents and occurrences have from time immemorial been ghastly and lurid; taking lives and properties completely unaware and leaving its victims helpless. This is the reason fire occurrence is considered a disaster of no mean effect. When it is invoked, fire is insatiable; it could go more than a mile without being tired and would rather wax stronger as it contacts materials of its likeness. Of all disasters, fire is considered more dangerous and consuming because unlike water which will eventually dry up, it does not. Whereas after a flood incident, victims can still pick up the debris of their possessions. They may put out their remnants out in the sun and re-order their houses but, fire gives no second chance. It consumes and destroys in totality.  

This is the reason for the establishment of Fire Brigade or Fire services world over-to-provide on-the-spot protection of fire victims and prevent an escalation of the fire thus, to forestall an incident of total destruction of properties and lives, the Nigerian government established the Federal Fire Service (one of the largest fire and rescue service), to work 24 hours a day to keep the country free from fires and respond to emergencies. With branches spread across the state and sub-branches in various Local Government Areas, the fire services in Nigeria are managed at local authority level with the Ministry of environment and Local Government playing an advisory, legislative and policy-making role. 

The mission of the Nigerian Fire Service is to reduce loss of lives and property due to fire outbreaks to the barest minimum while its Vision is to ensure a safe Nigeria where all Nigerians and their properties are fire safe but the question is, how well have they fared in the actualization of the above-mentioned goals? If Nigerians are to rate the country’s Fire Service, what percentage would they give to it? 

Without taking it all out with the services of the Fire Service nationally, yours sincerely would prefer to dwell with the one guarding our home-front- the Akwa Ibom State Fire Service located along Brooks Street. Without mincing words, the State Fire Service provider has not done Akwa Ibom proud when compared to what is obtainable in other states. Ours is like the defunct wristwatches we wear around her hands which cannot tell the time of the day. Yet, we put them on as an accessory to complement our apparel. The Akwa Ibom State Fire Service is nothing but a mere caricature mocking our acclaimed knowledge, expertise, exposure and experience. Their objectives totally deviate from what the Federal mother body stipulates. While the mother body is quick to respond to fire calls, the state body here sags in responding to such calls and when they do finally, their arrival would have become insignificant as the ambitious fire would have satisfied its desire. 

This was the case at Udoh Street where the State Fire Service was called to put out a fire some months back. They arrived the scene with little or no extinguishers and had to go back to refill and by the time they returned, the properties had all been ashed. The same happened last year at the Federal Government Girls School, Ukana Offot, ‘Nta Ikang’ filling station, Aka Road and very recently, the University of Uyo female Hostel; where the State Fire Service could not help in preventing the loss of properties. In many cases, the State Fire Service arrives a fire scene after hours of being called and find very little or nothing to do as some persons would have already taken up their duty. Even when they are expected to offer First Aid treatment to victims before they are moved to a Hospital for treatment, our State Fire Service rarely does this. In other states of Nigeria, Fire Service providers are often responsible for emergency medical services. Many firefighters are cross-trained as medical first responders, emergency medical technicians, or paramedics. Some departments act only as first responders to medical emergencies, providing assessment until an ambulance can arrive but ours is a complete nonentity.  

Just in case they do not know, a fire rescue service is an organization that provides predominantly emergency firefighting and rescue services for a certain jurisdiction, which is typically a municipality, county or fire protection district.  They also provide fire protection or fire prevention services, whereby they visit homes and give fire safety advice and fix smoke alarms for members of the public. It is totally unthinkable for fire brigadiers to sit wherever they are and expect SOS calls from members of the public without moving around with enlightenment tips on how to avoid or prevent fire occurrences in the home, workplace or even marketplace. Except it is not seen as important, fire protection or prevention is an issues for the fire service, as preventing a fire from occurring in the first place can save lives and property. 

Most public or municipal fire departments in states like Lagos, Abuja and nearby Calabar also carry out an enforcement role to ensure that buildings (homes, hotels, offices, factories and so on) are equipped with adequate fire precautions to limit the chances of fire and ensure that in the event of fire, people can safely evacuate the premises unharmed. This is also a part of the protection or prevention role the Akwa Ibom State Fire Service should adopt, instead of sitting in their comfort zones and awaiting calls which they have never been prepared for. 

Also, a fire department is normally set up where it can have fire stations and sophisticated fire engine strategically deployed throughout the area under its control so that dispatchers can send fire engines, fire trucks or ambulances from the fire stations closest to the incident but we do not see such here. The three Fire Service stations in Akwa Ibom are lacking in strategic, close and networked connection that calling for assistance from another station would be almost needless, given the distance the other has to travel. 

Fire departments are organized in a system of administration, services, training and operations where the administration department is responsible for supervision, budgets, policy and human resources while the service department offers protection, safety and education to the public. The training department creates skilled people with the knowledge to perform their duties while the operations department performs the tasks to successfully save the public from harm. This delegation of responsibilities and specialization aids effectiveness and enhances efficiency because labour has been evenly distributed. This is how and what it should be and not what it is. A lot of changes must be effected in the State Fire Service to keep it in line with the dictates of the Federal Mother body. 

Perhaps it is lacking in technical and professional competence, equipments and facilities, management and control; the bone of contention is for it to meet up the confidence reposed on it by the public. Their mandate of building a fire force that Nigeria and Nigerians would be proud of should come again into the fore of their operations.  The Fire Service should of course know that of all ailments, prevention has always been better than cure hence, the need to educate the public on Fire prevention should stand out among other duties.  Vast majority of fire can be prevented with the right advice. A small fire can cause significant human, material and financial disruption. So their duty should be educating the public first, improving on their services, restructuring their operations and acquiring more training, skills and manpower. They should also note that a distress call is a call which should not be treated with levity but abrupt action. In all, they should be guided by their consciences and respect for human life and properties.