JOSEPH Anebi, the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, says it is the responsibility of everyone to prevent fire outbreaks in our immediate environment.

Anebi made this assertion on Tuesday when he presented his speech at the 2018 Safe School Leadership Empowerment Conference and Awards in Abuja.

The Controller-General’s presentation was entitled: ” Fire Prevention and Management Best Practices,Politics and Protocols for Educational Institutions”

Anebi, who was represented by Superintendent of Fire (SF), Victor Unuofin, stressed that everyone has a responsibility to prevent fire outbreak from occurring.

He said that measures must be put in place to minimise the occurrence of fire in order to be safe lives and property from its menace and scourge in various institutions and homes.

According to him, fire is the greatest threat to the safety of lives and property.

” Investment that has taken years to put together can be erased by fire in a matter of minutes, nobody is exempted should a fire break out;

” Fire does not respect age, does not sympathize with children or pity old people, fire prevention is the end product of good housekeeping necessary to ensure that fire does not occur.

” Fire is a friend as much as can become an enemy, however, it becomes the latter (enemy) when it is uncontrolled,” he said.

He said fire is produced when a substance rapidly combines with oxygen in the presence of heat.

The Fire Controller said this combination then causes a release of heat, light and various reaction products.

He noted that the flames, smoke, heat and fumes were the greatest single threat to lives and property, which he said could be in the form of direct loss in the form of lives and physical property.

He said indirect loss due to fire could reduced value in property, human physical structure, loss in business income, personnel and equipment cost incurred in the suppression of fire.

Anebi enumerated common fire hazards noticeable in educational institution to include, overloading of electrical circuits, not plugging into a permanent outlet, and covering electrical panels with decorations.

Others are: use of cube adapters or multi-plug extension cords, running extension cords through walls, ceilings, cabinets or shelves, blocking exits with storage, and not making sure that electrical connections are tight and secure.

On safety best practices in schools, he said there should be sufficient open space around the school building to minimise the possibilities of fire spread.

He said each building must have a separate fire exit staircase with proper signage, and enough doors and widows for proper ventilation, overloading of extension cables amongst other safety tips.

He said the importance of fire safety in schools cannot be overemphasised, because numbers of children and students gather at one place and a single fire can affect them all.

Anebi, therefore, urged all schools to take all necessary measures in order to prevent anything unexpected from happening in the case of an emergency such as fire.

” Every floor must have a fire extinguisher strategically located to fight fire at its early stage before it spreads,” he said.

The Controller-General said it is very important that teachers and non teaching staff are instructed in the use of fire extinguisher.

He stressed the need for use of exit doors, saying that the identification of exit doors is the first thing to watch out in any place.

” Fire prevention is the responsibility of everyone, Make sure you play your part,” he said.

-NAN

BE

– Nov. 14, 2018 @ 12:40 GMT |