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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
THE Gwanda Fire Brigade has urged Government departments to set up fire safety committees that will be equipped with fire fighting skills in case of emergencies.

Speaking to heads of Government departments during a fire awareness drill, Gwanda Fire Brigade lead fire fighter, Mr Danny Sibanda, said a number of small fires that broke out in buildings resulted in massive damage due to lack of knowledge from members of the public.

“We are targeting government complexes in this awareness campaign because they house a lot of people. In cases of fire outbreaks in buildings the fire brigade may delay to arrive but fire safety committees will be present on the ground.

“The fire safety committees are a branch of the local fire brigade and comprise of civilians working from each Government complex. They are supposed to be trained by the fire brigade. As the fire brigade we urge all government departments to ensure that their complexes have such committees,” he said.

Mr Sibanda said each Government department is expected to have at least one representative in the fire safety committee.

He said the committees were a precautionary measure to ensure that fires were contained as early as possible.

“After the committee members are trained they can also train their colleagues. These committee members are people that are familiar with their work environment and hence they will know possible escape routes, the fire fighting equipment that they have within the work premises and how to operate it.

“In the case of a fire they will know what to do to ensure that people are safe and contain the fire until the fire brigade arrives. They can also monitor fire fighting equipment in office premises such as fire extinguishers to ensure that they are up to date. This is all necessary in ensuring that people are prepared for fire outbreaks,” Mr Sibanda said.

The fire fighter said the committees would also be equipped with skills to respond to other forms of disasters.

Mr Sibanda said a survey they carried out in office premises in Gwanda Town had revealed that some workers were not aware of the purpose of some fire installations in their areas and how to operate them.

He said some of the equipment found in offices was outdated while some was wrongly stored. Mr Sibanda said as the fire brigade they were facing challenges that include being under staffed and limited resources. He said this makes it difficult for them to deal with severe fires such as garage fires.

@DubeMatutu