Ekiti State Government has said it will not relent in its efforts to reposition the state fire services for quick response to distressed calls during emergencies.
The Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, urged the fire service personnel to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to achieve a high fire safety status across the state.
Aluko, who spoke in Ado Ekiti on Saturday while test-running the eight fire-fighting trucks provided by the state government to strengthen fire-fighting in the state, said the trucks were in fulfillment of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s promise that the state fire services would be better equipped.
The commissioner said that the eight vehicles consisted of six fire-fighting trucks and two water tankers for deployment to various offices for effective emergency responses.
He said, “I encourage the fire service personnel to focus more on fire prevention and safety to reduce the incidents of fire outbreaks and distressed calls in the state by making judicious use of these trucks.”
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olumide Ajayi, said that fire-fighting equipment would be distributed to the seven fire service stations in Ado, Ikere, Omuo, Ikole, Ijero, Aramoko and Ido Ekiti to effectively curtail fire outbreaks and loss of property to inferno.
Ajayi said, “The existing fire stations will be upgraded in coming years, and more will be built across the state to reduce response time”.
The Director General, Office of Transformation and Service Delivery, Dr John Ekundayo, advised the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities, in conjunction with the Fire Service Department to embark on more awareness and sensitization programmes that would help people to always take precautions to avoid fire outbreak, especially during the dry season.
