Lagos govt. saves property worth N139bn from fire

The Lagos State government, through the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, said it saved property worth N138.54 billion from fire and related emergencies in the last two years.

Mr Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, made this known on Wednesday in Ikeja, during the 2021 ministerial press briefing to commemorate the second year in office of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Bamgbose-Martins, however, said property worth N24.69 billion were lost to fire and related emergencies in the period under review.

He said the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service in the last two years recorded landmark achievements, largely due to the tremendous support and encouragement received from the Sanwo-Olu administration.

The commissioner said from May, 2019 to March, 2021, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service had undergone various transformations to enhance its operational capabilities to effectively curtail fire outbreaks and related emergencies in the state.

“The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service attended to a total of 1,899 fire calls in the last two years, whereas it has reduced the occurrence of same (fire outbreaks) by 10 per cent.

“The service also responded to 312 rescue calls within the period under review. In its rescue operations, 203 victims have been rescued alive while 113 other victims were recovered, suspected dead.

“The service attended to 98 false calls, bringing the total number of fire and other related emergencies that were attended in the last two years to 2,309.

“In the course of operation, property estimated at N138.54 billion was saved from fire and related emergencies during the period under review,” Bamgbose-Martins said.

He said the ministry engaged in fire prevention and advocacy, hence, a total of 2,150 facilities were inspected to ascertain their level of fire safety compliance.

According to him, 4,943 facilities were issued fire safety compliance certificates within the period under review.

He said these were to keep them abreast of the operational guidelines of the service and prepare them for actions to be taken in time of emergency with a view to bringing fire incidents to the barest minimum.