Fire Service seeks stiffer measures to curb inferno at petrol stations

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Department of Fire Service in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sought for amendment to its fire prevention and fighting laws, to provide for stiffer enforcement and punishment for Petrol Stations owners, who violate safety rules. Also, the Service lamented that despite its routine sensitization, fire inferno at Petrol stations around the nation’s capital has continued to increase.

Making this assertion, the Director and Controller of the Service, Engr. Sani Saidu, who briefed the press in Abuja, decried the weakness of the existing laws, saying it was not enough to curtail the level of negligence by operators, which obviously has always been responsible for the disturbing fire incidents. Saidu noted that while firemen has intensified its monitoring and supervision at the petrol stations, it has become necessary to ask for amendment to the existing legislation.

He noted that the standard best practice of allowing a petroleum products loaded truck that just arrived its destination to cool down before discharging, has always been flouted.

According to him, discharging of the contents of the truck is usually best done in a conducive weather temperature, but owners and operators always disregard it.

Saidu further opined that while it will be absolutely difficult to post firemen to all Petrol Stations for close Monitoring, it would be important to have a law for punishing those who discard the rules.