The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), on Monday, sensitised Kugbo furniture marketers to measures to prevent fire outbreaks in the market.
Mrs Florence Wenegieme, Acting Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, FEMA, who led officials from relevant agencies to the market, said the sensitisation had become imperative following the recurring fire outbreaks in the market over the years.
She noted that the Kugbo furniture market records f fire outbreak every year, but expressed the determination of the agency to rid the market of all kinds of disasters.
“FEMA has deemed it fit to visit the market and conduct an inspection to be able to know in what way the agency can be of assistance to the market.
“FEMA and FCT Fire Service are on ground to identify the necessary things that can be done to curb fire incident in the market.
“So far, there is no fire incident in the market because every year, between January 1 and January 10, we always receive distress calls of fire outbreak from the market,’’ she said
Wenegieme said FEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Fire Service and FCT Fire Service had inspected the source of electricity supply to the market and checked all connections.
“We discovered that the source of electricity supply in the timber shed of Kugbo furniture market is mostly generators.
“They have one transformer which supplies electricity to all the shops in the market and we also discovered that there was no firefighting equipment in the market.
“Therefore, we advise each and every shop owner to get at least a fire extinguisher and other fire defence equipment,’’ she said.
Earlier, Mr Eze Gregory, the Area Commander of Karu and Garki Command of FCT Fire Service, stressed the need for the market to acquire fire defence equipment and get the service’s emergency number.
Also, Mr Labaran Ahmad, Search and Rescue Department, NEMA, commended FEMA for the step it had taken after the recent fire outbreak at the Next Cash and Carry Supermarket to identify markets vulnerable to fire incidence.
On his part, the Chairman of Kugbo Building Materials Association, Mr Iheanachu Joseph, confirmed that every January the market records fire outbreak.
Joseph appealed to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to provide firefighting truck in the market.
