By Law Ibitoye
The Ekiti State Government in a bid to reposition the state fire services has provided eight fire fighting equipment towards responding to distressed calls.
Test running the operational vehicles in Ado Ekiti, the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, said the new vehicles consist of refurbished six fire fighting trucks and two water Tankers to be deployed to various offices for effective emergency responses.
In a statement by S.A Media to the governor, Yinka Oyebode noted that Aluko, had in a meeting held with the State Fire Service personnel during the 2024 work plan said the parastatal has been making remarkable strides under Biodun Oyebanji Administration by swiftly responding to the yearnings of the citizens.
He stated that Governor Oyebanji during a visit to the Ado Fire Service Headquarters, promised that the State Fire Services will be better equipped, describing the procurement as keeping to the pledge made during the assessment tour.
With the new equipment and many still in the pipeline, Aluko urged the personnel to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to achieve a high fire safety status across the state.
” 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 equipment”.
While test- running the equipment during a fire fighting platform and fire drilling exercise in Ado-Ekiti, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Olumide Ajayi, charged the Officers of the Service to discharge their duties maximally, especially in times of emergencies.
He stated that the equipment would be distributed to the seven Fire Service Stations located in : Ado, Ikere, Omuo, Ikole, Ijero, Aramoko and Ido Ekiti to effectively curtail fire outbreaks and loss of property to inferno.
“The existing fire stations will be upgraded in coming years, and more will be built across the state to reduce response time. So the staff must work assiduously towards accomplishing the mandates of state fire services, which include: extinguishing, controlling and preventing of fire outbreaks in public and private facilities”.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser/Director General, Office of Transformation and Service Delivery, Dr John Ekundayo, commended the efforts of the State Government for repairing the faulty Fire fighting equipment.
He charged the officers in charge to make judicious use of the equipment for the benefit of Ekiti people and conduct themselves well in the discharge of their duties.
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 will help people to always take precautions to avoid fire outbreak, especially during the dry season.