The Kebbi State Fire Service Department says there is only one functional firefighting truck in the state
Bashir Bello, Operational Officer of the Department of Fire Service, said this on Wednesday while speaking with pressmen in Brinin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital.
There are 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Kebbi State. Bello said the only functioning truck is at Adamu Aleiro Estate in the state capital.
Noting that the state has suffered severe damages from incidents of fire outbreak because the state lacks basic equipment to combat fire, he added that the state Fire Service cannot swiftly respond to fire outbreak because the department only has three old trucks in its garage.
He said: “The fire service department does not have a functional vehicle that can quickly respond to fire distress calls in case of emergency.
“We don’t have boots, fire jackets, hose/pipes and branches that release water with pressure.”
Giving the statistics of fire outbreak in Kebbi in 2019, Bello said: “From January 2019 till date, the department has recorded 62 fire outbreaks within the state capital, Birnin Kebbi, and some local government areas which resulted in the loss of lives and properties worth millions of Naira.”
Bello also mentioned that the Fire Service Department is short of manpower, adding that they would need not less than 150 staff and 12 new firefighting trucks to respond to emergency calls.
Bello appealed to the state government to immediately invest in the Fire Service Department by providing the necessary firefighting equipment.
