Following the surge in fuel tanker explosion in Nigeria in recent time which has continue to threatens lives and properties, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, is seeking partnering with the Federal Fire Service, FFS, and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to combat the rising incidence.
The FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, made this known during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria today Sunday in Abuja.
According to Mr Mohammed, the partnership is aimed at enhancing the response time to tanker crashes, minimising the loss of lives and properties, as well ensuring that victims received prompt and adequate emergency services.
The FRSC boss revealed that his agency would work closely with the FFS to establish fire service points at strategic locations, including FRSC zebra points, to facilitate prompt response to tanker crashes.
Mr Mohammed said this would enable the FFS to respond swiftly and effectively to tanker crashes, thereby reducing the risk of fire outbreaks and explosions to the affected communities.
He said, “FRSC will also collaborate with NEMA to provide emergency services and support to victims of tanker crashes.
“This will include the provision of medical services, shelter, and other forms of support to victims and their families.
“We are coming together to see that wherever we have FRSC Zebra points, we should see that we have fire service and NEMA points too.
He added that “So that if such an incident happens, while FRSC is there to help, the Police and other sister security agencies are there and the Fire service and NEMA too are there to help and protect lives and properties.
“This is necessary so that we can all be able to ensure that fire doesn’t occur but ensure safety first,” he said.
Mohammed emphasised the need for collective efforts to combat tanker crashes, urging community leaders and the public to join forces with the FRSC and its partners to prevent these incidents.
He therefore called on general public to as a matter of citizen responsibility to alert its office or any security outfit of any suspicious activity or tanker crashes to the FRSC’s emergency numbers, 122 and 112.
“Everybody should be involved in curbing tanker crashes, both the community leaders and the public, so that we speak with one voice to stop this carnage from continuing and improve on what we do.
He explained that its emergency numbers 122 and 112 are very effective because it is 24 hours tollfree line, that is, day and night because the officials run shifts.
“Someone will always pick and link you to the immediate point where interventions can be brought in and take care of the incidents,” he said.
He also disclosed his office plans to establish more FRSC outposts in strategic locations to facilitate swift intervention in the event of tanker crashes.
More so, the FRSC would work with state governments to identify high-risk locations and establish outposts in those areas, he added.
“We have identified some hot spots and we are also creating not necessarily a unit but an outpost.
“We will also partner with state governments to make sure that we put a zebra point and outpost there so that we will be able to bring intervention immediately,” he said.
The FRSC boss called on parents to educate their wards on the dangers of tanker crashes, emphasising the need for children to stay away from scenes of tanker crashes or fuel spillage, especially those with habit of scooping fuel.
According to him, children are often curious and may be tempted to approach scenes of tanker crashes, unaware of the dangers that are pending there-in.
He warned that fuel is a highly volatile substance that could ignite easily, causing devastating consequences.
“I’ll advise Nigerians, especially Parents to talk to their children and wards because this fuel is very volatile.
“Instead of going there to look, it is better when you see a tanker crashed or fuel spilling, they should run completely from the scene, they should be running entirely from that scene because it is dangerous.
“Once we don’t go there to scoop fuel, it means that we can save our lives, ” he emphasised.
NAN