The new Fire Police units will provide security on the perimeters of fire scenes against vandalism and attacks
By Omeiza Ajayi, Vanguard Nigeria
The Federal Government has disclosed its resolve to create an arms-bearing unit to be referred to as “Fire Police,” whose duty would be to provide armed outer cordon during operations.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Chairman of Council disclosed this in Jos, Plateau state during the opening of the National Council on Fire.
Related: Editorial: Nigeria Needs to Improve Fire Service
Director of Press in the ministry, Lere-Adams Blessing in a statement issued Sunday in Abuja said the decision is “part of efforts to address the challenges often faced by firefighters during operations, through mob action and vandalism of firefighting assets in the country”.
Aregbesola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, said: “the Ministry would initiate the process of repealing the 1963 obsolete Fire Service Act and enactment of a new contemporary, vibrant, and enforceable law, through the instrument of an Executive Bill to be forwarded to the National Assembly for deliberation and eventual passage into law”.
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“When critical national assets are adequately protected against consequences of huge losses due to fire incidents, these assets are saved; the economy is further protected because the very lean resources that would have otherwise been used to rehabilitate or reconstruct such affected infrastructure would be channelled to other areas of our national development. Our national archives and very sensitive information would be preserved,” he added.
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