The Enugu State Government said it trained 21 fire officers on operational strategies and use of modern fire-fighting equipment to stem fire outbreaks and prevent its attendant losses.

The fire officers went through fire-fighting drills on modern equipment handling and maintenance, life resuscitation and first aid, safety during operations, emergency and alertness positioning prior and during operations as well as general forms of fire outbreak simulations.

During the closing ceremony of the training on Saturday in Enugu, the Director of Enugu State Fire Service, Okwudiri Ohaa, said that the intensive and extensive training was to build capacity among the officers.

Mr Ohaa said that the one-month training, which was held between November 10 and December 9, was meant to improve the skills of the fire officers on modern equipment handling as well as optimal emergency preparedness.

According to him, the fire officers are also trained on new emerging challenges on the job such as real-time and proper coordination, crowd control as well as synergy with other security agencies during fire incidents.

“After about three weeks intensive and extensive training in the state fire service headquarters in Enugu; they have another session of one week at the Staff Development Centre, Enugu, where they took a series of examination as well.

“The training is part of the ambitious and proactive preparations of  Governor Peter Mbah, to ensure attainment of his “Zero Fire Loss’’ initiative, meant to minimise fire outbreaks and the attendant losses in the state.

“This initiative, which also encompasses equipment upgrade, facility provision (water hydrants) and robust residents’ sensitisation on fire safety consciousness among others, will start to yield positive fruit this harmattan/dry season,” he said.

Mr Ohaa, who is also the chief fire and rescue officer of the state, noted that the present administration was poised to expand the fire stations within the state.

He said there was a design to ensure at least one fire service station in each of the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

“For many decades, there were only three fire service stations in the entire state. However, the former administration built five more fire service stations in strategic locations in the state. With the determination and plan to push fire safety forward, I sincerely believe that our amiable governor will make the reality of one fire service station per council area possible,” he said.

According to him, with fire service stations in each council area, it will take between five and 10 minutes for fire-fighters to move in an emergency manner to the remotest spot in the state, if there is any fire outbreak.

 (NAN)