The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has mentioned hearth prevention and emergency reaction should be handled as a essential a part of governance on account of the devastating have an effect on hearth incidents have on lives, assets and companies.
Rhodes-Vivour spoke as probably the most panellists on the premiere of CBI Information’ documentary, “Burning Level: Inside of Lagos Fireplace” and a stakeholder discussion, held in Lagos.
Discussing the theme “Past the Flames: Rethinking Crisis Preparedness, Reaction and Responsibility in Nigeria,” he mentioned hearth may ruin price and cut back investments to 0, particularly in a state the place insurance policy isn’t standard and sufferers incessantly battle to get justice or repayment.
He mentioned the main function of presidency was once the safety of lifestyles and assets, including that government should have transparent techniques, situation plans and a right kind working out of the way to deal with hearth dangers, specifically in markets.
Consistent with the Lagos State Fireplace and Rescue Provider 2025 Process File, Lagos recorded 1,685 hearth incidents in 2025. The document additionally indicated 133 deaths and estimated assets losses of N19.72 billion.
Rhodes-Vivour: “Fireplace can remove the whole thing. Executive should have a machine, situation plans, and a transparent working out of the way to deal with the issue, specifically in markets,” he mentioned.
He famous that Lagos is a centre of industrial, with markets unfold around the state and serving as a big driving force of its financial system. He mentioned securing the lives and assets of investors and marketplace customers must subsequently be a concern for the federal government.
Consistent with him, lots of the demanding situations in hearth prevention and reaction get up from deficient situation making plans, insufficient funding within the hearth carrier, and a failure to stay tempo with fashionable era.
He cited the new hearth incident in a high-rise development on Lagos Island, pronouncing pictures confirmed a hearth truck on the base of the development pushing water to the higher flooring, whilst firefighters went within to battle the blaze.
He argued that fashionable firefighting era now gives higher choices, together with using drones to ship fire-suppressing units into affected rooms. Consistent with him, such era can extinguish fires sooner, cut back dangers to firefighters, and now not rely only on get right of entry to routes for hearth vehicles.
Rhodes-Vivour mentioned the era had grow to be not unusual in international locations akin to China and in portions of Europe. He mentioned the ongoing dialogue round growing get right of entry to routes for hearth vehicles in markets and addressing water shortages confirmed the desire for Nigeria to evolve to fashionable answers.
“We must now not nonetheless be speaking about hearth vehicles pushing water up 15-story constructions when drones can now be used,” he mentioned.
He said that fireside vehicles would stay helpful for low-rise constructions, akin to bungalows and two-story buildings, however mentioned the federal government should include era and spend money on it significantly.
He added that fireside reaction must now not be about making headlines over the acquisition of recent vehicles whilst citizens stay up for hours right through emergencies. Consistent with him, era can lend a hand supply sooner responses, more secure operations, and higher coverage for lives and assets.
Additionally talking, the Director-Basic of the Lagos State Fireplace and Rescue Provider, Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, mentioned Lagos, as a rising heart of trade, trade, transportation, and home construction, faces vital public protection demanding situations.
Adeseye, who represented the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, mentioned the duty of the federal government is going past responding to emergencies.
She mentioned it additionally contains expecting dangers, lowering vulnerability, and protective lives, livelihoods, and investments around the state.
She defined that the Lagos State Fireplace and Rescue Provider has a basic mandate to save lots of lives and assets via firefighting, hearth prevention, rescue operations, and humanitarian products and services.
“The most productive hearth incident is the only averted,” she mentioned.
She mentioned the Lagos State Executive had remodeled the fireplace carrier from a division right into a full-fledged company to satisfy the state’s rising emergency-response wishes.
Consistent with her, the choice of hearth stations larger from 14 in 2019 to 29, extending the carrier’s operational succeed in. She added that the established order of fireplace zone headquarters had reinforced coordination and repair supply throughout operational spaces.
She additionally disclosed that the federal government had procured 62 new automobiles throughout other operational classes, together with hearth vehicles, water tankers, fast intervention automobiles, cellular upkeep automobiles, and hydraulic platforms.
She mentioned the property strengthen firefighting, water provide, group of workers mobilization, upkeep, and specialised operations.
Alternatively, Adeseye cautioned that apparatus by myself was once now not sufficient. She mentioned efficient emergency reaction calls for skilled group of workers, sound procedures, transparent command buildings, teamwork, and the protection of each responders and the general public.
In his welcome deal with, the founder and govt vice-chairman of Baywood Staff, Mr. Chris Baywood Ibe, mentioned hearth was once one crisis that nobody may utterly want away as a result of it would happen at any time.
He mentioned preparedness should subsequently stay a relentless precedence for people, companies, and establishments.
“At CBI Media, we take this factor significantly as a result of hearth incidents could have devastating penalties when folks and establishments aren’t ready,” he mentioned.
Ibe shared his private enjoy of a hearth incident at his house. He mentioned he returned house at about 2 or 3 a.m. and spotted smoke billowing from the development.
He mentioned his coaching within the oil and gasoline sector taught him to not panic right through emergencies. As an alternative of appearing unexpectedly, he mentioned he assessed the placement to resolve the supply of the fireplace.
He found out that the fireplace began from a water heater in his room after the water dried up and the application started to burn. He mentioned he was once ready to position out the fireplace the use of a hearth extinguisher put in in the home.
“The lesson from that have is unassuming: when there’s a hearth, don’t panic or scream. Panic could make an individual lose focal point and take the incorrect motion. You will need to stay calm, assess the placement, and reply accurately,” he mentioned.
Ibe recommended assets house owners to do greater than simply personal hearth extinguishers. He mentioned the apparatus should be incessantly checked to verify that it’s legitimate and useful.
He additionally instructed assets house owners to paintings with the Lagos State Fireplace and Rescue Provider and different certified firms to validate their hearth protection techniques in order that they don’t seem to be stuck unprepared right through emergencies.
He mentioned CBI Media produced the documentary to move past storytelling and examine why hearth incidents happen, how they occur, what will also be completed to forestall them, and the stairs that are meant to be taken afterwards.
“For this reason we commissioned this in-depth investigation into hearth incidents in Lagos and throughout Nigeria,” he mentioned.
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