The Nation Newspaper

Tag: emergency response

  • ‘Lagos hospitals ready for emergency response’

    The Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says most public hospitals have been equipped with facilities for emergency response in case of crisis during the general election, which starts tomorrow.

    Its Chairman, Dr. Saliu Oseni, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday said the association had stimulated its members to be at alert for quick response to emergencies during the elections tomorrow and on March 9.

    He urged candidates to carry out peaceful and smooth elections.

    “Prevention is better than cure, is what we say. When you have crisis, we do not know the extent to which it can go.

    “The setup of some general hospitals in Lagos always has provisions for crisis management, where you have mass casualties.

    “However, we appeal to our politicians to hold the election in a peaceful environment, putting into consideration the people they want to lead so that the people can be in safe hands.

    “We also need the unity of the country at this time,” Oseni said.

    He urged individuals, especially the youth, not to allow themselves to be used as thugs to foment crisis.

     

     

     

  • LASEMA gets helicopter for emergency response

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has given Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and related safety outfits an helicopter to boost their work in the hinterlands.

    LASEMA’s General Manager (GM) Adesina Tiamiyu made this known yesterday at the quarterly stakeholders meeting of emergency and safety agencies.

    The government had also acquired other multi-billion naira equipment for saving lives and properties during any emergency.

    According to him, the agency has taken delivery of the chopper; the other equipment would be delivered in batches.

    He said: “There are many rescue equipment acquired.  As we speak, we have taken delivery of the two new excavators which will help in demolishing shanties and clearing canals and drainages.

    “Also, there is a particular canal on Lagos Island that has been blocked. We are already clearing it with our equipment to ensure safety of the residents.

    “The chopper has been acquired but there are other things that have to be done such as branding, training of personnel, the route plan among others before we launch it. “These are already ongoing. I have seen the chopper myself; it was flown into Government House last week. By the time we begin to operate it, we would reach the innermost part of Lagos and bring people out to safety.”

    Tiamiyu said more LASEMA Response Units (LRUs) would be inaugurated in different parts of the state, adding that the agency would soon establish a communication network to improve its response time.

    He said: “We will be launching our telecommunication services hopefully by October.  At our centres today, we have already started hoisting mast and we will be able to communicate with the use of walkie-talkie while our vehicles anywhere in the state will be connected to enable them direct incident scene better.

    “Fire service will also get that benefit very soon. The ambulance service will also have the opportunity. When all of us can reach one another anytime, it means we all can communicate effectively and help Lagosians better.”

    He urged residents to be their neighbour’s keepers so as to stem the rising cases of suicide.

    Lagos State Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Hygeinus Omeje lamented the crowding of incident scenes by the public, citing the Otedola Bridge tanker fire.

    He noted that FRSC would not have done much but for the equipment deployed in the scene by the state.

    Omeje said: “LASEMA has been covering my nakedness. Imagine you are called to the scene of incident such as the Otedola fire and people are looking at you to move mountains but we do not have the kind of equipment LASEMA has. I must thank God for the LASEMA General Manager for having the right attitude. He is always ready to respond and rise to the occasion when called upon.

    “There is no need for unhealthy rivalry between responders. The public should be sensitised because the responders find it difficult to access the scenes because of onlookers.

    “Everybody wants to snap. You are wasting your data, nothing is coming in and you give incorrect figures.”

  • ‘How to handle emergency response management’

    ‘How to handle emergency response management’

    Aerodrome rescue and fire fighters play critical roles  in emergency response management.This critical role is, however, hampered by a myriad of challenges. At a conference in Lagos last week,experts said effective communication of airport emergency plan and review of airports’ aircraft emergency response procedures bring about a paradigm shift, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR, reports 

    HoW to execute the Airport Emergency Plans (AEP) topped discussions  at the Aviation Stakeholders Strategic Conference held last week in Lagos.

    Experts, including officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) agreed on proper communication of airport emergency plans.

    The forum, focused on Aircraft Emergency Management was organised by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN’s) Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS) in Lagos.

    Poor communication of airport emergency plans, experts said, affects aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting personnel while accessing accidents sites.

    Failure to address this gap, they said, would continued hamper efforts by aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting personnel at mobilising men and materials to crash sites.

    Besides, the government had designed a new template that would define the roles to be played by aviation and other response agencies during  crashes.

    The new initiative, it was learnt, is part of measures by Nigeria to inch towards global strategies to be deployed in mitigating  poor coordination in aircraft response emergency management.

    To drive the new arrangement, the FAAN  disclosed that it had begun the review of emergency procedures at airports.

    Its Managing Director, Saleh Dunoma, said the review became necessary because of challenges in aircraft emergencies handling.

    He said the airport authority should carry other agencies along in the implementation of the plan to put them on the same page on the procedures for handling aircraft accidents and incidents.

    He said FAAN would continue to equip its aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting personnel with the requisite skills and manpower to discharge its responsibilities as a critical component of airport safety and security.

    Saleh said the conference provided an opportunity for the personnel to engage industry players on the best ways to discharge their responsibilities.

    He said: “The emergency procedure for all our airports are already being reviewed and improved upon. We shall work with our personnel to further improve our awareness, readiness and compliance with the best emergency management procedures in the industry.

    “FAAN will strive  to continuously improve the relationship with stakeholders with respect to the successful management of aircraft  to ensure safety of airport operations and airports.”

    Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)Managing Director, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, said the AEP,to succeed, should be a collective efforts between internal and external agencies.

    Akinkuotu said other agencies’personnel should cooperate with the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Service to respond to aircraft emergencies.

    He said without the collaboration, handling emergencies could be an uphill task.

    Akinkuotu said: “It is for this reason that the International  Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) emphasises Airport Collaboration Decision Making (A-CDM) as the most effective strategy in achieving an inclusive effective development of customer – centric Airport and Air Navigation Service Development plan. Such initiative  is in the interest of international civil aviation.”

    He said the conference was expected to provide a blueprint that would entrench stakeholders’ collaboration decision making methodology for the greater benefit of the international and domestic flight operations.

    Also, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director-General, Capt. Muhtar Usman, said the regulator would continue to provide the enabling environment for all agencies to discharge their responsibilities during aircraft emergencies.

    He said Nigeria was would ensure that the relevant agencies have the required men and materials to undertake emergencies.

    Usman said: “NCAA is delighted that the conference was held after the successful conduct of simulated full scale emergency exercise at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos on May 31.

    “This is good because it came at a time  the Lagos Airport  is on the verge of being certified NCAA after the fulfillment of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) regulation on Aerodrome certification.  Aircraft Emergency Management  is critical  to safety of flight operations and business continuity at the airport.

    “In order to achieve robust and effective aircraft emergency management at the airport level, inter –agency collaboration, meetings, seminars/conference and regular exercises is absolutely indispensable.”

    An Aerodrome Rescue  and Fire-Fighting specialist from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Washington DC, Marc Tonnacliff, said training was key to developing capacity for personnel involved in aircraft emergency response management.

    According to the FAA official, for Nigerian aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting personnel to handle aircraft emergencies, they must be familiar with the airport environment.

    He said a situation aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting personnel were heading in various directions during an aircraft emergency was an evidence of poor understanding of the environment.

    The FAA expert canvassed effective communication among the emergency stakeholders during aircraft crashes.

    Former Acting General Manager, Aerodrome Rescue and Fighting Services, FAAN, Akinlabi Akinselure, said lack of coordination and overcrowding at accident scenes remained a problem.

    He said there was the need to create a forum for emergency responders where issues pertaining to providing mutual assistance at times of emergencies could be discussed.

    Besides the forum, Akinselure canvassed education of emergency responders on their roles in accordance with the Aerodrome Emergency Plan as well as the need to key into the plan for effective and efficient handling of emergencies.

    He said: “Experience has shown over the years that each time the  aerodrome emergency  plan was tested as required by the ICAO and the NCAA, series of problems including reluctance to respond to emergency call and where there were responses, there was lack of understanding on how to key into the aerodrome emergency plan.

    “All these resulted in lack of coordination of the exercise and overcrowding of the entire scene of the emergency.

    “ We continue to insist that though emergency response is the business of all and everyone is needed but not everyone is needed at the scene of the emergency.”

     

  • ‘Neighbourhood Corps improving security, emergency response’

    ‘Neighbourhood Corps improving security, emergency response’

    The Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) has improved security and emergency response in the state, to further boost security in the state, Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr Oluseye Oladejo has said.
    Oladejo said this while giving account of activities of his ministry last Friday.
    The government, he said, had commenced another round of recruitment into the corps. The exercise will see an additional 5, 700 people getting employed by the Corps.
    The recruitment, he said, was part of government’s efforts to ensure a well secured and business friendly state, adding that the LNSC will serve as a panacea for efficient and effective policing of the communities and the pathway to economic prosperity, social stability and improved quality of life of people in the state
    Describing the LNSC as a new innovation that is envisioned to become a model community safety corps to the admiration of Lagosians and the nation at large, Oluseye said the establishment of the agency would go a long in complementing the efforts of the existing security agencies in the state and also guarantee return on Investment for business owners.
    He urged the public to join hands with the corps as they are also members of the community working for a safer Lagos.
    Similarly, Oladejo said to reduce emergency response time and tackle emergencies frontally, the various departments and agencies that are saddled with the responsibility of managing safety and emergency have been moved to “Oshodi Safety Arena.”
    He explained that the move would improve co-ordination, synergy and reduce response time to safety and emergency issues across the state.
    The commissioner said an upgrade at the Command and Control Centre, Oshodi will facilitate effective response to emergencies.
    He said: “We have upgraded the technology at the centre to receive calls simultaneously. We have also improved the capacity to receive calls and transfer to the appropriate agencies that would respond to the emergency situation on a 24-hour basis. This has in no small measure boosted the “Golden Time” in response to emergencies.
    “A new dispatch centre for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has been established in the Lekki axis of the state. The Lekki facility will include a jetty for water rescue activities and will help to improve the response time around Lekki/Epe and its environs when operational. The facility will be inaugurated soon.”

  • LASEMA trains over 500 volunteers to boost emergency response

    LASEMA trains over 500 volunteers to boost emergency response

    No fewer than 500 volunteers yesterday received trainings on emergency response at the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) relief camp in Igando.

    The participants, who were drawn from the 57 Local councils across the state, were taken through various simulations on how to rescue victims of air, road or water mishap.

    They were also trained on how to handle cases of fire outbreak and building collapse to minimise casualties.

    Speaking at the event, Special Duties Commissioner, Seye Oladejo said the participants were trained on volunteerism, communication in disaster management, search and rescue, command and incident command structure, Basic Life Support (BLS) among others, to equip them with necessary training in saving lives and properties.

    According to him, there has been remarkable improvement in LASEMA’s management of disaster since Governor Akinwunmi Ambode assumed office last year.

    He attributed the improvement to the reorganisation processes the agency went through as well as the acquisition of equipments, inauguration of the LASEMA Response Unit (LRU) all aimed at enhancing emergency management.

    The commissioner stated that the engagement of the volunteers would enable the state have the advantage of local knowledge of emergency scenes, adding that they would be properly guided in their rescue efforts.

    Oladejo said Ambode’s heavy investment in emergency management was not just to safe lives, but also to attract investments and boost investor’s confidence.

    He said: “The LASEMA Response Unit (LRU) and the sophisticated equipment such as Tow Trucks, Crane, Fire Trucks, ICU Ambulances, Forklifts etc, which most times are dispatched to various emergency intervention such as fallen tanker/containers, automobile accident, and removal of stationary vehicles especially at night has tremendously reduced as well as mitigated emergencies that would have claimed lives in the State.

    “It is very important to note here that emergency/disaster management requires adequate training and professionalism, this is important because minor injuries if not properly attended to by competent hands could lead to complications, or rescuer without proper training, could turn into victim.”

    LASEMA General Manager Adesina Tiamiyu said the volunteers’ training was conceived primarily, to reduce and manage disaster risk through capacity building of local inhabitants of the State.

    “The whole idea is to bring emergency management to the communities, in realisation of the fact that it is the communities that bear the real brunt of the emergencies and disasters.

    “Based on this realization, it is only wise that a solid foundation should be laid for effective emergency/disaster management at the community level. Also ensure that our communities and the grassroots people become sufficiently equipped, sensitized and enlightened on issues of emergencies/disasters prevention, response and management,” Tiamiyu said.