The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has warned FCT residents to equip their 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 advice Friday in Abuja, during a television programme monitored by our correspondent.
Idriss, who stressed 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.
Frowning upon a situation where some traders live within the market, the FEMA boss called 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, Idriss said the Agency requires more ambulances, funds and manpower to reduce the response time from five to three minutes.
