FCT Emergency Agency saved 435 lives in 2014-Director

By Stanly Onyekwere with agency report

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has said that it saved 435 lives and property worth N3.71billion in between January and October 2014 through prompt response to emergency calls.

Alhaji Abbas Idris, the FEMA director, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, expressed the agency’s resolve to improve its emergency services in 2015.

Idris said that the agency would achieve this by promptly responding to disasters within the territory, to save more lives and property of residents.

“We were able to save 3.7 billion Naira billion worth property as well as 435 lives through our emergency services between January and October 2014 and we intend to improve on this.

“The issue of fire outbreak was particularly prevalent during the festive period when some people travelled out of their homes without switching off their appliances.

“During the yuletide season, we recorded an average of five to seven fire outbreaks in various parts of Abuja and we were able to respond to them appropriately.’’

Idris advised FCT residents turn off electrical appliances when they leave their homes and to avoid bush-burning, adding that the agency would embark on the sensitisation of residents on how to manage emergency situations.

“We are planning to embark on a sensitisation and town hall meetings with residents of the FCT as a way of providing them with basic information on how to tackle various emergencies.

“We appeal to residents to avoid bush fire because this usually becomes uncontrollable and results to loss of lives and property.’’

The director explained that FEMA would also continue to ameliorate the pains of residents affected by other disasters such as flood, communal clashes and windstorms, among others, through the donation of relief materials.