The National Emergency Agency (NEMA), in collaboration with Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA), has launched sensitisation to drivers to curtail the spread of Tanker fire when it happened.
The campaign was launched on Wednesday at the Tanker’s park in Nassarawa-Eggon Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
Speaking during the event, Babatunde Razak-Adebiyi, North-Central NEMA Coordinator in charge of Plateau, Nasarawa, and Benue States, said the event was aimed at curtailing Tanker fire.
He explained that they were collaborating with state emergency agency, Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) as well as the tanker drivers, to help curtail the rate of road fire disasters.
Razak-Adebiyi said fire incidences were highly risky emergencies that posed a serious threat to lives, property, the environment, as well as infrastructures.
He attributed fire incidents involving tankers to road traffic crashes, equipment failure, and human error and said it requires a collective and coordinated effort to prevent further occurrences.
He, therefore, called on the Tanker drivers to use what they were told by the firefighting agency to avoid the loss of lives and the spread of fire if it happened.
On his part, Barr. Ben Akwash, Director General (DG) of Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency, said that sensitisation was part of the proactive measures by the state and Federal Governments to tackle the increasing rate of tanker fire.
Akwash described as unfortunate the incidences of fire involving tankers that were not properly managed and led to the loss of lives and property in many states.
The NASEMA boss called on tanker drivers to be cautious while driving and urged the public to run for their lives when a tanker loaded with petroleum products falls.
He said that the state agency would replicate the same sensitisation in all the 13 LGAs of the state to ensure that they enlighten as many tanker drivers as possible.
In a presentation, Controller of Federal Fire Service in Nasarawa State Nwachuku Eno-Kelechi urged tanker drivers to run for their their lives in an event of fire disaster before looking for ways to quench the fire.
The Controller recommended that drivers should use ABC fire extinguisher because of the effectiveness and efficiency of the fire extinguisher in controlling fire outbreak.
She also advised that if any tanker loaded with fuel fall the drivers and those around should disengage the battery and call the fire service for prompt response in order to de-escalate the fire.
Eno-Kelechi emphasised that drivers should refill their fire extinguisher regularly, maintains electrical wires and ensure that they are working and should make sure the seat-belt-cutter is close to them.
The fire service also demonstrated the techniques of extinguishing fire to enable drivers see the practical way of doing it so, that the adopt same where necessary.
Also Mr. Domain Ezeanya, Head of Operation, Federal Road Safety Corp in Nassarawa-Egggon LGA attributed the causes of tanker fire to includes; equipment failure, human error, poor road conditions and mechanical fault.
He urged tankers drivers to carry out regular maintenance of their trucks, engage in regular training, road assessment emergency preparedness and others.
He further appealed to tanker drivers not to over speed or over-take in a dangerous corners to avoid further loss of lives and property on the road. (NAN).