By Ben Kati
The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has charged the residents to equip thier homes, offices, business places and cars with basic fire defense equipment to curtail fire outbreaks.
The Director General of the Agency, Alhaji Abbas Idriss gave the advise during a Television programme in Abuja, monitored by The AUTHORITY.
Idriss, who emphasized that homes should be equipped with extinguishers and fire blankets, warned that gas cylinders should be kept outside the kitchen.
Noting that the annual market fires in the FCT, have started with the Kubwa market incident, the FEMA boss called for the segmenting of markets , to keep people using inflammable and combustible items away from other traders.
He frowned at a situation where some traders live within the market, calling on the Abuja Market Management Limited,(AMML), to install central circuit breakers in markets and also to ensure markets are evacuated at the close of trading.
On the response time to emergencies, he explained that the agency required more ambulances, funds and manpower to reduce the response time from 5 to 3 minutes.
