The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA has commissioned some newly acquired specialised vehicles and search and rescue equipment in Nigieria.
This will strengthen operations of the Agency, bridge the existing gaps and tackle the disaster risk situation effectively in Nigeria.
The operational vehicles as well as Specialised Search and Rescue Equipment to be inducted into operations include; 3 Mobile Intensive Care Unit Ambulances, 3 Incident Response Vehicles, 2 Motorised Boats, 2 Inflatable Boats, 9 Flood Lights, 15 Probe Cameras, 3 Life Locators, 15 Breaching Systems and 9 Chain Saws.
Others are; 6 Concrete Cutters, 9 Full Body Harness and 9 Hose Pump Unit, 9 Hydraulic Cutter, 9 Hydraulic Hose, 9 Hydraulic Rescue Ram, 9 Hydraulic Spreader, 9 Manual Cutter/Spreader and 3 Concrete Cutting Saws.
Speaking during the commissioning of the items in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, the Director General, NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, said that the equipment would ensure efficient and fast location, recovery and treatment of victims and improve community resilience.
“In this auspicious occasion, we are commissioning and inducting brand new specialized emergency response operational vehicles and equipment. It is indeed another testimony to the fulfillment of the vision of the Federal Government of Nigeria on timely and effective disaster response to save lives, safeguard livelihoods and critical national assets.
“There is no doubt that deploying these very important assets will close existing gaps, meet up to the tactical challenges faced by NEMA emergency response personnel. It will boost NEMA asset base and enable better preparedness for saving lives. Only last month, the entire NEMA staff received new sets of Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) and gear to enable them rescue people in distress during sudden onset disasters and emergencies,” Mr Ahmed explained.
The Director General further appreciated other stakeholders and the people of Japan for the good gesture displayed.
Additional Assets
He explains that “In addition to this brand new assets, I am delighted to announce that, NEMA has recently received 2 mobile water purifier trucks donated by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA in addition to the 4 earlier received from the same Agency.
“NEMA remains grateful to the Government and the good people of Japan for its relentless gestures towards supporting NEMA lifesaving operations nationwide.
“This laudable support to NEMA has become most appropriate considering the increasing complexity of human and nature induced disasters in the various hotspots nationwide. The assets being inducted today will no doubt enhance the safety and security of NEMA staff and place them in a better position to save lives, restore normalcy and improve our national resilience. I thank all our reliable partners and stakeholders in service to humanity including the FCT FEMA, SEMAs nationwide, international development partners, the UN system as well as our teeming emergency volunteers across Nigeria. To the management and staff of NEMA; I sincerely appreciate your immense cooperation, sacrifice and support in this very important task of making our country a better place to live and prosper”
The NEMA’s Director Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Edward Adedokun, noted that the equipment on ground were ready and would be distributed to NEMA offices across Nigeria and emergency response team.
According to NEMA, In the last eight months, floods in Nigeria; mostly flash floods, have inundated 33 out of 36 States and FCT, affected over 508,000 persons, leading to about 372 deaths, 277 injured persons, destruction of about 37,633 houses, loss of huge numbers of livestock and several farmland have been submerged, mostly in Adamawa, Jigawa, Taraba, Kano, Bauchi, Niger, Anambra, and Ebonyi States.
Confidence Okwuchi
