With the opening of three newly constructed fire stations in the State, the Lagos State Government has seen a significant asset expansion in its emergency response services.
On Wednesday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu virtually showcased the other two fire stations erected in Oniru and Ajegunle while physically commissioning the new fire station in Ebute Elefun.
The initiatives were started to speed up emergency response to fire-related disasters and to strengthen the State’s emergency management system.
On that same day, the Governor officially opened the renovated Alausa Fire Department headquarters. Lagos currently has 21 fully equipped fire stations spread all across the State thanks to the three extra assets.
The facility expansion proposal was one of the suggestions made after the Lagos State Government’s 2020 comprehensive assessment of the emergency response department with the goal of improving performance.
According to Sanwo-Olu, one of the issues was that there weren’t enough fire stations to effectively control fire outbreaks at a scale that would allow for quicker reaction times.
The governor said that his administration’s response to the discovered deficiencies in emergency services was proactive and deliberate in order to create a workable road plan to resolve constraints and reposition the emergency agencies for peak performance.
He said: “Today’s handing over of three newly constructed fire stations at Ebute Elefun, Oniru, Ajegunle and the newly upgraded Fire Service Headquarters in Alausa to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service Agency is the fulfillment of our administration’s commitment to the protection of lives and property of our citizens.”
“We believe response time to fire disasters is critical as it can make a lot of difference between life and death. The earlier the fire is attacked, the lesser the damage it will have on people and property. To enable fire responders to reduce the distance and overcome other unplanned encumbrances on the way to fire scenes, the idea of having at least one fire station in each of the 20 Local Government Areas of the State was conceived.”
“Lagos requires protection through deliberate disaster mitigation and emergency management strategies that are realistic and comprehensive. We are convinced that the construction of new fire stations will allow quicker response to the scene of emergencies within their specific area of coverage, as we believe the proximity of fire stations to incident locations is crucial to rescue and safety operations. With the new facilities, firemen will get to the theatre of operations at record time.”
The additional stations, according to Sanwo-Olu, are an investment by the State in the security and well-being of citizens and companies. He said that the resources will significantly lower the losses brought on by fire breakouts and lessen the inconvenience experienced by locals.
The Governor announced that his administration would build three additional fire stations in Ijede, Kosofe, and Ijegun before the end of the second quarter of 2019.
He said that the existing fire stations had been upgraded and renovated in order to strengthen the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service Agency’s status as the nation’s top organization for fighting fires. Sanwo-Olu urged the locals living close to the new fire stations to take responsibility for the property and guard it against damage.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mobolaji Ogunlende, said the facility expansion was part of the plans to strengthen security in Lagos.
He said the new stations were designed to have their dedicated sources of power and water supply, with modern facilities for the convenience of firefighters deployed to man the stations.
“With these investments the Sanwo-Olu administration has made in this sector, I am confident that Lagosians would have a new experience in fire and rescue operations,” Ogunlende said.
Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, stated that the new equipment would increase the agency’s capacity for emergency operations. She also noted that the Ebute Elefun station would provide service to more than 20,000 people living on the high-rise-dotted Lagos Island.
The newly renovated Fire Department headquarters in Alausa, according to Nike Adekanbi, General Manager of Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA), is “an edifice constructed to last.” She also noted that the building was expanded to increase the agency’s administrative capabilities.
She claimed that the Sanwo-Olu administration renovated 14 fire stations, resulting in the creation of nearly 600 employment.
The Lagos State Public Works department built the new administration building for the Lagos Fire Service, which currently contains 60 offices, an expanded appliance bay, landscaping, a surrounding fence, and a developed road system.
