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By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday said despite the drop in the fire incidents in the state through the use of modern technology, community will power remains the strongest weapon to fight fire outbreak to a standstill.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made the remark during Lagos International Fire Safety Conference LIFSC 2.0 in Victoria Island, Lagos, under the theme “Leveraging Technology and Community Engagement to Prevent Fire.”
The Director of the State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye had earlier disclosed that in 2023, 2,573 fire incidents were recorded, but there was a sharp drop to 1, 952 in 2024.
Also, property saved in the year 2024 amount to N117.12bn while the estimated property lost was 19.52bn.
Sanwo-Olu said, “This is an event that builds on the remarkable foundation we laid together at LIFSC 1.0. This conference has become a united front in our shared mission to protect lives, property, and the very heartbeat of the economy of our State from the devastating impact of fire.
“In 2023, our Fire and Rescue Service bravely responded to over 2,500 distress calls. Each call was more than a statistic; they were lives interrupted, businesses disrupted, dreams endangered.
“The early part of 2024, signalled a troubling rise, but ,then ,came a turning point, the inaugural Lagos International Fire Safety Conference in June 2024. Since then, we have seen a noticeable drop in incidents. This proves something powerful: when we unite knowledge, technology, and community willpower, we save lives.”
The Governor stressed that the success recorded was about using two powerful tools together: smart technology and active community participation, saying, “Technology gives us special equipment and systems that help us stop fires before they get out of hand.
“We now have drones that can quickly fly over an area to check what is burning, cameras that can see through thick smoke, and alarm systems that can warn people early. We are also using real-time information so our firefighters know exactly where to go and what to do the moment a call comes in. These tools help us save time, and when fighting fire, every second counts.
“But even the best technology cannot be everywhere at once. That is why our strongest weapon is still a well-informed and alert community. We are working hard to teach fire safety in simple ways that everyone can understand.
“We are visiting markets, schools, factories, and residential areas to show people how to prevent fires, what to do if one starts, and when to call for help.
“In schools, we are training children so that safety becomes part of their daily life from a young age. In workplaces, we are showing workers how to use fire extinguishers and handle emergencies. In busy markets and neighbourhoods, we are organising fire drills so people know how to act quickly.
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“Our goal is to make sure every person in Lagos, knows how to spot potential fire hazards, how to prevent a fire, how to stay safe, and how to help others. When people take the first step, technology can step in even faster, and together we can stop small sparks from becoming big disasters.
“That is why we are creating a more conducive atmosphere for synergy among stakeholders to strengthen our Incident Command System (ICS) and improve emergency response. We are exploring current trends and innovations in fire protection and modern firefighting technologies, while focusing on structured preventive measures and stronger legislation as antidotes to recurring disasters.
“We also reiterate to all stakeholders the importance of fire detection, protection, and suppression systems, alongside conventional firefighting equipment, to enable timely control at the earliest stages. Through the “Safety on the Move” initiative, we are also exploring solutions to incessant tanker fire accidents on our roads.”
The Governor urged participants to leave the conference with a collective resolve that every lesson learned will be applied in homes, workplaces, and communities to champion prevention over reaction and to continue to innovate, collaborate, and educate until the scourge of fire disasters is drastically reduced in the state.
Commissioner for Special Duties and Governmental Relations, Olugbenga Oyerinde, noted that the state government is leveraging on technology and community engagement to prevent fire disasters.
He added that with the conference,”there is need to rejig our strategies because of the frequent recurrence of fire incidents.
“We remain unwavering on fire free incidence. It is a shared mandate to protect our communities from fire outbreak,” the Commissioner stated.
The chairman Lagos State House of Assembly on Special Duties and Inter-Govermental Relations, Age Sulaimon said, “What we are doing here is germane that shows the timber and caliber of people present. We are ever ready to deliver on the legislative aspect of the issue. Without solid law in place, whatever we are doing won’t have a strong backing.”
He thanked the Governor for being proactive in coming up with an amendment on fire-related law for the State.
The Director the State Fire and Rescue Service, Adeseye disclosed that ,”the total property saved in the year 2024 is 117.12 billon while the estimated property lost is 19.52 billion.”
She added, the victims rescued alive is 450, victims rescued dead 91. Fire Service also has activities that are not emergency, we visited 7,870 commercial company on compliance with fire safety code. We issued 7,039 compliance certificate issued.
“We want to bring to your notice in 2023 ,2,573 incidents, but in the year 2024,we have 1, 952. 1,952 not just speaks louder than one can say, a story of life in a statistics to see , it is a life, a story, a reality, a human to show. We fight not to fight the fire ,but life and future. Fire safety is not securing equipment but about the people,” she said
