To prevent fires from spreading, the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has advised residents to stock their homes, offices, and vehicles with basic fire equipment.
The advice was given by FEMA’s Director-General, Alhaji Abbas Idriss, in a statement issued by the agency’s Head of Public Relations Unit, Ms. Nkechi Isa, on Saturday in Abuja.
Idriss, who emphasized the importance of having fire extinguishers and fire blankets in the home, suggested that gas cylinders be kept outside the kitchen.
He noted that annual market fire incidents in the FCT began in the Kubwa and Nyanya markets, and he advocated for market segmentation to keep people using flammable and combustible items away from other traders.
The D-G demanded that the Abuja Market Management Ltd. (AMML) install central circuit breakers in markets and ensure that markets are evacuated at the end of trading.
Idriss explained that the agency needed more ambulances, funds, and personnel to cut response time from five to three minutes.