FFS refurbishes 40 fire trucks, deploys 700 cadets, inducts 39 PROs into NIPR

By Anan Geolengs

The Federal Fire Service, FFS, said it has refurbished 40 firefighting appliances, procured 2 new modern trucks, and deployed over 700 trained cadet officers across commands nationwide in the last one year.

The Controller General of FFS, Samuel Adeyemi, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja during a one-day National Stakeholders’ Summit on Fire Safety and the induction of 39 FFS Public Relations Officers into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR.

The event coincided with Adeyemi’s first year in office.

Speaking at the summit, Adeyemi said the Service had focused on strengthening operations, professionalism and institutional capacity.

“In operational readiness, we have rehabilitated and revamped 40 firefighting appliances, while two modern firefighting appliances as well as over two thousand personal protective gears have been supplied,” he said.

He added that the Service was also upgrading facilities at the National Fire Academy to meet international best practices.

“When re-opened, the academy will be the best in Africa for training of firefighters and other emergency related trainings,” he said.

On manpower, the CG said over 700 cadet officers had been trained in basic firefighting and deployed across commands. He said specialised capacity had also been strengthened through counter-terrorism training in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, and the Armed Forces.

In the area of staff welfare, Adeyemi said the Service had improved access to medical intervention, provided interest-free loans, enhanced support for families of deceased personnel, and addressed promotion and entitlements.

For the first time in the history of FFS, Adeyemi said, PROs from the 36 states and the FCT were brought together for a coordinated training programme ahead of their recognition and certification by NIPR.

Inducting the officers, the President and Chairman of Council of NIPR, Dr Ike Neliaku, urged the FFS management to value the new members who are now ambassadors of the Institute.

He said NIPR was ready to partner with FFS to develop a communication framework for the Service.

Adeyemi said fire safety cuts across education, housing, industry, transportation, construction, energy, commerce, health and communities, and called for stronger partnerships to build national fire resilience.

While officially inducting the new NIPR members, President, Chairman of Council of the institute, Dr. Ike Neliaku, urged the FFS management not to value the inductees having raised them as ambassadors.

The NIPR President also tasked the new members to be good ambassadors of the institute.

He said: “I want to recommend that in partnership with the Federal Fire Service, the NIPR is prepared to help you develop a communication framework.”