The FCT Fire Service, in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC), is introducing fire safety clubs in public and private secondary schools in the territory.
The Assistant Controller-General of the service, Mr Julius Opetunsin, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday.
Opetunsin said the initiative was part of the agency’s fire safety sensitisation campaign for school children, to be launched on Oct. 8.
The aim, he explained, was to raise the consciousness of residents, especially children, on prevention of fire incidents.
Data released by Opetunsi showed that 13 lives were lost and properties worth N781 million destroyed in 155 fire incidents recorded by the service between January and September.
He said the service saved 43 lives and properties valued at N1.3 billion within the period.
Opetunsi said that children played a strategic role in the prevention of fire disasters at home, hence the need to catch them young.
He said that the enlightenment campaign would cover all the public and private schools within the FCT.
“For us to achieve this, a stakeholders meeting was held with UBEC and the Firefighter Magazine on how to effectively take the message to the schools in the FCT.
“This gave birth to the first phase of the programme which was officially launched in October, 2018.
“What we are witnessing today is the awareness creation phase and inauguration of the fire safety clubs in the school to be visited.
“We want to inform our stakeholders in the education sector and general public of the official flag-off of the sensitisation programme and to solicit their cooperation for us to achieve this collective mandate,” Opetunsi said.
Mrs Chinwe Ogwueleka, a representative from UBEC, said the campaign was a great opportunity for students to be agents of fire safety in their surroundings.
