By Stanley Nwanosike
Enugu – The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday said it would begin the second phase of massive sensitisation against fire outbreak in various markets in Enugu State.
The South-East Coordinator of NEMA, Mr Brandon Walson, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.
Walson said that this was different from a two-day sensitisation it had with fire disaster response agencies two weeks ago.
Walson said that the sensitisation, which would start on Thursday, become necessary with the onset of harmattan during which fire disasters become more rampant.
“This planned exercise is meant to reduce losses to fire yearly in the state.
“The exercise will start in Ogbete Main Market and the Timber Traders’ Market in Enugu.
“The sensitisation, which will run for one week, will cover more than 12 major markets in the state,’’ the NEMA official said.
According to him, the agency wants to increase the level of consciousness and precaution which traders should take on fire prevention to reduce losses to yearly occurrence of inferno.
“After the direct sensitisation of the traders, we are going to engage the local radio and television as well as social media to ensure the information gets to everybody.
“We will also use local language of the people to communicate these messages,’’ Walson said.
The NEMA coordinator said that two weeks ago, a simulation exercise on fire outbreak and responses of various agencies was carried out in the sensitisation.
“We engaged fire disaster response agencies such as the Federal Fire Service, State Fire Services and various commands of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the South-East.
“We taught them quick and effective fire disaster responses.
“In the seminar, we clearly spelt out the roles of each agency as well as the best way various agencies can synergise for greater effectiveness and service delivery,’’ Walson said. (NAN)