Emergency Response: Abaji Area Council To Procure New Fire Fighter Truck

By: Prudence Okonna

The Chairman, Abaji Area Council of FCT, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi, says the Council will procure a new fire fighter truck, a vehicle, motorcycles, and other logistics for its Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) to strengthen emergency response in the Area Council.

Abdullahi made the commitment during the inauguration of the LEMC supported by the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Wednesday, in Abaji.

The Chairman said that the Council would procure the firefighting truck to be stationed in Abaji, to ensure speedy response to fire outbreaks in the area.

He commended FEMA for its tireless efforts to ensure that the Committee was inaugurated, and for the series of sensitisation campaigns to educate residents on how to prevent or mitigate disasters.

His words: “We will do everything humanly possible as a Council to support the Committee to effectively carry out its functions.

He emphasized his intentions to stay committed to the activities of the Committee

“I will also be deeply involved in the activities of the Committee to ensure effective disaster risk reduction in Abaji Area Council,” he said.

The Chairman urged the committee members, whom he said were strategically selected, to discharge their duties with all honesty and ensure that no one is left behind during emergencies.

Speaking earlier, Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, FEMA, Florence Wenegieme, explained that the Committee was established to ensure disaster risk reduction at the community level.

This, according to her, is in line with the National Emergency Management Agency Act, that provided for the establishment of State Emergency Management Agency at state level and Local Emergency Management Committee at local government level.

She said that the Committee would serve as the first responder to emergencies at community level while awaiting the arrival of FEMA and other supporting agencies.

Wenegieme said that members of the Committee would be adequately trained during a simulation exercise, on how to identify common disasters in the area and how to carry out rescue operations in an effective and inclusive manner.

Her words: “The members will also be engaged in FEMA’s quarterly refresher meetings to keep them on top of their game, update them on weather outlooks and modern methods in disaster response. FEMA will equally engage the Committee members on simulation and drill exercises to equip them with the necessary skills on how to carry out rescue operations during emergencies.”

Recall that FEMA had carried out a series of sensitization activities to the Palace of the Ona of Abaji and the Council Secretariat prior to the Inauguration of the Local Emergency Management Committee.