By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
The Cross River State Fire Service and other firefighting agencies in the state have raised the alarm over persistent operational challenges limiting their ability to respond effectively to increasing fire outbreaks.
The personnel made the disclosure yesterday when they paid a joint visit to the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Dodeye Ikpi Arikpo, in his office in Calabar.
More than 20 fire incidents have been reported across Cross River State in the past one year, affecting markets, homes, businesses, gas facilities and other properties.
However, inadequate equipment, poor maintenance and limited capacity have continued to hamper effective response, with several incidents resulting in the destruction of properties and goods worth millions and billions of naira.
The most recent major incident was the fire at SPAR Shopping Mall in Calabar, where several shops and goods reportedly worth billions of naira were destroyed.
Speaking on behalf of the visiting personnel, Mr Ufuoma Omene of the Airport Fire Service identified inadequate training and the poor state of firefighting equipment among the major challenges confronting the services.
He said water trucks, fire trucks and other emergency-response equipment required regular maintenance and repairs to keep them operational during emergencies.
Omene appealed to the state government to introduce quarterly training programmes for firefighting personnel to improve their skills and emergency-response capacity.
He also called for legislation to strengthen and empower the Fire Service to effectively discharge its responsibilities and enforce fire-safety regulations across the state.
Responding, Commissioner Arikpo acknowledged the critical role of firefighters in protecting lives and property during emergencies.
“I appreciate your commitment, sacrifices and professionalism in the discharge of your duties. Your work directly saves lives and property, and government recognises that,” he said.
Arikpo assured the personnel that the ministry would continue to provide necessary support and oversight to improve the operations of the Fire Service.
He also promised that attention would be given to regular training and maintenance of firefighting equipment, describing both as essential to improving the state’s capacity to respond effectively to fire emergencies.
