By SundiataPOST, Abuja
The Federal Fire Service on Wednesday assured the University of Jos, Plateau, of its assistance in ensuring prompt, adequate disaster prevention and control in the institution.
The Controller General, Mr Olusegun Okebiorun, who was represented by Mr Ademola Jolaosho, the Assistant Controller General, Administration and Supply of the service said this when the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Hayward Mafuyai paid him a visit.
Okebiorun said that fire safety was the concern of every citizen as everyone needed to make effort to imbibe safety measures in their environment.
He assured the institution of its assistance by carrying out a reassessment of the structure, and to give suggestions on how to reduce equipment and materials that could cause fire.
He said that the service would also engage the students and teachers through discussions and enlightenment to educate them on proper safety measures.
He said that this would enable them to be equipped with the knowledge to assist management prevent any occurrence of fire outbreak in the institution.
Okebiorun assured the institution of its assist by carrying out a reassessment of the structure, and also give suggestions on how to reduce equipment and materials that could cause fire.
He said that the service would also engage the students and teachers through discussions and enlightenment to educate them on proper safety measures.
He noted that this would enable them to be equipped with the knowledge to assist management prevent any occurrence of fire outbreak in the institution.
He said that the service would also provide the institution with trained fire disaster management officers who would train its staff in the fire unit on how to prevent and control fire disaster.
The controller general said that the service would check already existing structures to ensure there were safety facilities and retrofit those structures built without a safety designs.
He advised the vice chancellor to include fire safety in its curriculum to enable the students be aware of precautionary methods on fire prevention and control.
He also advised states and various organisations to establish fire safety stations to enable prompt response during a fire outbreak.
The vice chancellor had sought for assistance and collaborations in providing safety measures to the institution in case of fire outbreak.
Mafuyai said that the institution had had two cases of fire outbreak which led to the loss of valuable property.
“Within the last 12 months, we have had two fire incidences which affected the Library and ICT centre server room.
“Though, we were able to put out the fire in the server room and the damage contained the library was greatly affected as the damage was enormous,” he said.
He called on the fire service to assist the university and neighbouring communities in any way possible to contain future fire outbreak.
