Sanwo-Olu inaugurates upgraded headquarters, new fire stations

Speaking at the inauguration, held at Ikeja and Ebute Elefun, Sanwo-Olu said that the building and inauguration of the stations were in fulfilment of government’s commitment to the protection of lives and property of the residents.

He said that having more fire stations would ensure effective and timely response the fire emergencies in the state.

According to him, two years ago, a performance assessment study of all First Responders was carried out, where gaps responsible for limiting the effectiveness of their response to emergencies were identified.

”Our response to these identified gaps was not only proactive but very strategic, as we developed a road map that will address them and reposition the agencies for optimum performance.

”Specifically, one of the challenges identified was the inadequate fire stations for a growing state such as ours. As we all know, fire outbreak is an emergency that can only be prepared for, but the time, speed and scale at which it will happen cannot be predetermined.

”This is where response time is critical as it can make a lot of difference between life and death.

”Therefore, to enable Fire Responders reduce the distance and overcome other unplanned encumbrances on the way to fire scene, the idea of having at least one fire station in each of the twenty Local Government Areas of the state was conceived.

”To this end, contract for the construction of six new fire stations in different parts of the state were awarded. Three out of these six fire stations that have been completed along with their headquarters are being commissioned and handing over today,” he said.

The governor said that the remaining three stations at Ijede, Kosofe and Ijegun would be completed and delivered before May 2023.

He said that the construction of new fire stations would allow quicker response to the scene of emergencies within their specific area of coverage, because proximity or nearness of fire stations to incident locations was very crucial to rescue and safety operations.

Sanwo-Olu said that the earlier the fire was attacked, the lesser the damage it would have on people and property.

The governor enjoined residents, especially those living around the locations of the new and upgraded fire stations, to take ownership of them and ensure their protection from attack or damage.

”They are provided with your taxes. They are your properties. Please protect them,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Mobolaji Ogunlende, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, said that the event was a milestone in the journey to rebrand and reposition the state fire and rescue service for improved service

Ogunlende said that the need for new fire stations was conceived to overcome the challenge of distance and quicken the response time of the Service.

He said that the target was to localize the presence of fire service stations in each of the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.

”With the huge investments made by the Sanwo-Olu administration in this sector, I am confident that Lagosians will begin to experience improved services from the fire and rescue service.