Sanwo-Olu inaugurates upgraded headquarters, three new fire stations

Sanwo-Olu inaugurates upgraded headquarters, three new fire stations

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Wednesday inaugurated an upgraded headquarters and three newly constructed fire stations, to tackle fire emergencies in the state.

The upgraded fire service headquarters is located at Alausa, Ikeja; while the three newly constructed stations are situated at Ebute Elefun, Oniru and Ajegunle.

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 the government’s commitment to the protection of the 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, a fire outbreak is an emergency that can only be prepared for, but the time, speed and scale at which it will happen cannot be pre-determined.

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

“Therefore, to enable Fire Responders to reduce the distance and overcome other unplanned encumbrances on the way to a  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, contracts 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 handed 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 the 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.

Sanwo-Olu inaugurates upgraded headquarters, three new fire stations