Three freshly constructed fire stations have been opened by Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who also promised that three more will be completed by the end of the year.
In addition to virtually opening the Oba Gbolahan Lawal Oniru Station in Lekki and the Ajegunle Fire Station in Ajegunle, Sanwo-Olu also launched the Ebute-Elefun Fire Station on Lagos Island. In Alausa, he also inaugurated the refurbished Fire Service Headquarters.
The Governor described the event as ”a fulfillment of his administration’s commitment to the protection of lives and property of our citizens.”
He noted: “Two years ago, a performance assessment study of all first responders was done and gaps limiting the effectiveness of their response to emergencies were identified. One of the challenges identified was the inadequate fire stations for a growing state like ours.
An event like a fire breakout can only be planned for; its timing, severity, and scope cannot be predicted in advance. Response time is crucial in this situation since it can be the difference between life and death.
Therefore, the idea of establishing at least one fire station in each of the 20 local government districts was conceived in order to enable fire responders to shorten the distance and overcome other unforeseen obstacles on the approach to the fire scene.
Today marks the opening and transfer of control for three of the six fire stations whose construction was authorized. Before May 2023, the final three stations at Ijede, Kosofe, and Ijegun will be built and delivered.
“We are convinced that the construction of new fire stations will allow quicker response to emergencies within their specific area of coverage because proximity to incident locations is very crucial to rescue and safety operations. With the new facilities, firemen will get to the theatre of operations at record time.”
The Oniru, Oba Gbolahan Lawal, thanked Sanwo-Olu for ‘approving construction of this modern fire station and utilising this land that was bequeathed to the state by my predecessor, the late Oba Idowu Oniru’.
“This is proof of this administration’s commitment to protect and preserve the lives and property of her citizens,” he added.
Oba Lawal said: “The risks have become more glaring, especially knowing that there are no adequate measures to ensure the safety of lives and property in the unforeseen situation of a fire outbreak. This, therefore, goes to show the importance of the provision and maintenance of emergency services. For a long time, Iru Kingdom and its environs have had to depend on the emergency response from the fire stations located in Chevron and Marina.
“A prepared community can make a huge difference during emergencies and help save lives. We, stakeholders and partners, will continue to play a key role towards keeping