The Controller General, Federal Fire Service, Liman Ibrahim, has implored Nigerians to act as volunteer firefighters to curb fire menace in the country.

Mr Ibrahim, who commissioned one modern firefighting truck and two ambulances in Zaria, Kaduna State, on Tuesday, said auxiliary firefighters were commonplace in advanced countries.

The deployed fire truck and ambulances were among the recently acquired 20 life support ambulances and seven fire fighting trucks by the Federal Fire Service.

The fire service boss said that if citizens on ground at fire scenes attended to fire before the arrival of firefighters, the excesses of fire menace will be curtailed.

“Nigerians should be auxiliary firefighters like in developed countries as that will help reduce the impact on us and reduce the number of fire outbreaks,” he said.

“In developed countries in a situation where you have 50 firefighters, only 20 are on government payroll while the remaining 30 are volunteers.

“Before the arrival of firefighters they are already doing something so the fire will jot spread but curtail it to its origin and control it.”

Mr Ibrahim further explained the importance of containing fires before it spreads.

“What is important in firefighting is control but many people don’t understand when we are controlling fire.

“When property C is on fire we need to protect property B and D so we lay emphasis more on the property that are not on fire.

“Because what is on fire is already on fire so we are telling citizens to be auxiliary firefighters,” he said.

Mr Ibrahim stated that the service in collaboration with state fire service wants to engage citizens, villagers and traders on how to minimise fire outbreaks and encourage prompt response to outbreaks.

“Fire fighting is everybody’s responsibility so the need for robust collaboration between the centre and states need not to be overemphasised,” he said.

He called on the state governments to provide allocation of utility vehicles, recruitment of young firefighters and approval of paramilitary salary structure to the state fire service.