During a national fire safety summit in Abuja, Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Adeyemi Samuel Olumode, encouraged affluent Nigerians and corporate entities to fund the construction of local fire stations. He emphasized that enhancing safety infrastructure is a collective duty, citing existing community-funded stations in areas like Offa, Oyo, Idanre, Bonny Island, and Kugbo as successful models for protecting public assets.
Marking his one-year anniversary in office, Olumode highlighted recent milestones, including the repair of 40 firefighting vehicles, the acquisition of new equipment, and the training of 700 new cadet officers. The Service is also upgrading the National Fire Academy to become a premier regional training hub and has partnered with the Office of the National Security Adviser to bolster counter-terrorism expertise.
In a separate move to modernize operations, the Service inducted 37 Public Relations Officers from across the nation into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations. Olumode stated that this initiative aims to standardize crisis communication and improve public trust. He further recognized partnerships with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and the Tony Elumelu Foundation for their contributions to safety preparedness. The Controller General concluded by urging the public to cooperate with responders during emergencies by clearing roads for fire trucks and avoiding the spread of unverified information.
