By Ive Gulu
As the hammartan season intensifies, residents of Jos the plateau state capital have been advised to guard against incidences of fire outbreak.
Speaking in an interview with Highland FM, the Director of the state fire service, Mr Caleb Polit said cases of wild and domestic fire become rampant during this season due to general dryness and the wind which aids it’s spread
Mr Polit who attributed most cases of fire to human factors advised residents to imbibe caution at home and outside
“most of the fire incidents are from carelessness, and could be from natural occurrence or willful act. Sometimes when you leave your house, you will not switch off electrical gadgets, and when there is surge, definitely there will be fire. And in case you are using the normal gas, when you open the valve, the gas will escape, so light the matches before you open the valve”
The Director of fire revealed that over two billion naira worth of property were lost to various fire incidences across the state from January to October this year but has salvaged over seven billion naira worth of property from the over one hundred fire calls it received across the seventeen Local Government Areas of plateau state.
He said his organisation has stepped up campaigns to educate the public on the dangers of fire and sought collaboration of the media in sensitizing the populace
” This is the period we normally create awareness, because people have to be cautioned on how to handle fire once fire gets out of hand, it’s going to be a problem to you and the society, so the duty of the fire service is to save lives and property , and in plateau state we fully prepared for this harmattan.”
Mr Polit assured that the state fire service is ready and equipped to deal with any eventuality but sought the cooperation of the public in order to succeed.
He also advised people to call the fire service when ever there is an incident rather than wait till it gets out of hand and give the right of way when the fire trucks are on the move as lives and property are at stake.
Edited by Karen keyen
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