Give fire trucks right-of-way, Fire service boss urges motorists

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The Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Adeyemi Olumode, has appealed to Nigerian motorists to always give fire trucks and ambulances the right-of-way, saying every second counts during emergencies.

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Olumode made the appeal on Friday in Abuja at a One-Day National Stakeholders’ Summit on Fire Safety and the induction of Federal Fire Service Public Relations Officers from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

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The CG said delays caused by motorists refusing to give way to emergency response vehicles could worsen fire incidents and lead to avoidable loss of lives and property.

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He said, “Anytime, anywhere we have sirens or fire trucks, ambulances, please let us give right-of-way. Because every second, every minute counts. Fire does not wait for anybody.

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“And we know that every fire starts very small. The ability to nip it in the bud will be able to save a lot of things. This is why we call this stakeholder summit.”

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Olumode also called on members of the public to play an active role during emergencies by keeping access routes clear, avoiding unnecessary crowds around fire incidents and providing useful information to firefighters.

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He said, “During an emergency, the public has a role to play. Giving fire trucks a clear path, keeping unnecessary crowd away, providing useful information to responders and sharing verified information can make a real difference to the speed and effectiveness of our response.”

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The CG said the Federal Fire Service needed the cooperation of all stakeholders to build a resilient fire safety system in the country, noting that the increasing complexity of Nigeria’s cities, industries and infrastructure had created new fire risks.

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He said the service could no longer approach fire safety in the same manner as in the past because of emerging risks, including gas explosions, building collapses, flooding and terrorist attacks.

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“Resilience is not all about responding to fire occurrence. It is about prevention, early detection, professional response, and learning from every experience,” Olumode said.

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He said the service had been reviewing its response to fire incidents after every operation to identify new lessons and improve its preparedness.

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According to him, public trust is also critical to the effectiveness of the Fire Service, stressing that the agency must overcome negative perceptions about its operational capacity.

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“Public trust for fire service is very, very important. Over the years, certain stereotypes and perceptions have been built around fire service. Like, if they call them, there is no water. If they call them, there is no fuel. If they call them, they will arrive late,” he said.

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Olumode said building public confidence required professionalism, transparency, effective communication and a genuine commitment to serving Nigerians.

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He said the Fire Service had taken steps to strengthen its operational and institutional capacity since he assumed office one year ago.

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The CG disclosed that 40 firefighting appliances had been rehabilitated and revamped, while 22 modern firefighting appliances were ready for commissioning and deployment.

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He also said more than 700 cadet officers had undergone basic firefighting training and had been deployed across the various commands.

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According to him, the service is also upgrading its National Fire Academy to meet international best practices and improve the training of firefighters, individuals and corporate organisations.

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Olumode said the service had also expanded specialised training in areas such as counter-terrorism in collaboration with relevant national security agencies.

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He explained that firefighters increasingly served as first responders to incidents beyond conventional fires, including bomb explosions, building collapses, floods and terrorist attacks.

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The CG further disclosed that the service had trained and certified its Public Relations Officers across the 36 states and the FCT as part of efforts to strengthen its communication with Nigerians.

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He said the induction programme was the first coordinated training of the service’s PR officers from all states and the FCT, stressing that the exercise was aimed at professionalising the way the agency communicates with the public.

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“Our PR officers must understand strategic communication. They must know how to handle crisis management, media relations, reputation management and so on,” he said.

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Olumode also unveiled the Federal Fire Service Public Relations badge, saying it represented responsibility, professionalism, accountability and the authority to communicate on behalf of the service.

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He warned that the privilege could be withdrawn if abused.

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The CG also called for the establishment of more fire stations across the country to reduce response time and bring emergency services closer to communities.

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“Nigeria needs a multiplicity of strategically located fire stations so that emergency response can be brought closer to our communities and response time reduced,” he said.

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He urged philanthropists, business leaders, corporate organisations and estate developers to support the establishment of fire stations in their communities.

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Olumode cited communities and private organisations that had built, equipped and donated fire stations to the Federal Fire Service as examples worthy of emulation.

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He said the collective responsibility of government, communities, businesses and individuals was essential to preventing fire disasters and protecting lives and property.

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The Secretary of the Civil Defence, Immigration, Correctional and Fire Services Board Retired Major-General Abdulmalik Jubril commended the FFS leadership for improvements recorded within the past year, including the promotion of 2,620 officers, induction of over 700 cadet firefighters, rehabilitation of more than 40 firefighting appliances and utility vehicles, and expanded fire safety partnerships.
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n‎He urged the newly inducted Public Relations Officers to communicate truthfully and responsibly, particularly during emergencies, saying they must neither exaggerate achievements nor conceal challenge.n

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