Deputy Minister in the Office of the Vice President Harry Kalaba has called on the Fire Brigade unit in Lusaka to be proactive in the manner they handle infernos and other unexpected disasters in the nation.
Mr. Kalaba said it is saddening to note that the Fire Brigade unit in Lusaka in most cases fail to respond promptly to calamities such as infernos because of inadequate preparations on their part.
He said this when he toured the Fire Brigade Services and the Emergency Response Team in Lusaka today.
The Deputy Minister stated that people’s property has been damaged in unexpected fire breakout and further urged the unit to change their methods of putting out fire as well as other disasters which happen unexpectedly .
He said Government will always provide enough resources to the unit in order for it to operate smoothly on a daily basis.
Speaking after touring the Lusaka Fire Brigade offices yesterday, Mr Kalaba said he was prompted to visit the Lusaka Fire Brigade following the increasing infernos and other disasters that had rocked the city.
He therefore wanted to get first hand information on how the fire fighters operated and that his opinion was that what was obtaining was a reflection of what was happening at other fire brigades countrywide.
He said a paradigm shift and seriousness in the manner the Fire Brigade conducted its work was desired as people had repeatedly been complaining of inefficiency on the part of fire fighters.
People were losing property worth millions of Kwacha through fire outbreaks, adding that such outcries had a negative bearing on Government’s performance.
“Our people have been complaining about it and I think it’s high time that we took our work very seriously, honestly and I think there has to be a paradigm shift in the way we operate some of these things. I want to believe that with the new Government that has come in place, it’s extremely important that we take advantage of the new environment,” he said.
On revelations by Lusaka Fire Brigade chief fire officer Wellington Mulambo that the department currently only had one fire engine to cater for the city, Mr Kalaba wondered how it would quench fires with one fire tender given a situation where infernos broke out in more than one place at one time.
“Let us have a change. I mean, you have only got one vehicle?! So if there are fires in Mtendere, another fire in Kalingalinga and another fire in town it means you will not respond,” he said.
Mr Kalaba told Mr Kangwa and LCC engineering services director Gilbert Sendama to present him with the progress report on Friday at 14:00 hours highlighting new ways of tackling infernos as using old ways was not yielding the desired results.
He directed the DMMU national coordinator to ensure that another fire brigade station was opened as well as use his office to co-sponsor the National Fire Policy to expedite its implementation.
Mr Sendama said the LCC was before the end of this year procuring another fire engine valued K2.6 billion and that the tender process had reached an advanced stage and that it in its 2013 to 2015 budget it had proposed to construct and equip six sub fire stations around the city to improve on fire and rescue services delivery.
Mr Kalaba and entourage which also included Lusaka District Commissioner Ashwell Kampengele later proceeded to familiarise themselves with the operations of the Emergency Rescue Team (ERT) where he assured its commissioner Andrew Stephenson of Government’s commitment in assisting the team’s noble voluntary work of saving lives.
And Disaster Management Unity (DMMU) National Coordinator Patrick Kangwa appealed for close working relationship between the DMMU, Lusaka City Council and the Fire Brigade.
Mr. Kangwa said the office of the DMMU will continue working hand in hand with the fire brigade unit as well as some other concerned stakeholders in times of disasters in the country.
ZANIS
They need gear and equipment. How can they be proactive without tools? Do you want the firefighters to walk to fires with buckets and budizas?
Install fire hydrants
Purchase Fire tracks
Purchase fire proof gear for firemen
and then ask them to be proactive you moron of a minister
What is that rusty control panel for? Is this the state of the biggest fire department in Zambia? Minister, the Fire Department has no equipment, stop making noise and get down to the provision of resources and training! Look at yourself, you lazy, fat twit!!!
I oneday witnessed how hopeless these guys are as they failed to dive into the sewage (near garden compound) to save a drowning kid. A batch of hopeless fellows, not worth for anything. Just wish they were w to f. Very hopeless indeed.
We Mbushi we, want do you want them to do, jump in acidic bog? They don’t have boats on their tenders. Mind you Shyt burns you can’t expect them to swim it. Buy them equipment and refurbish the fire that’s when you can complain if they fail to do their job.
How about yourself why didn’t you jump in can’t you swim?
Buy them the necessary equipment, provide hydrants everywhere and then you can make noise. For now just shut up and stop wasting everyone’s time. How can you say Govt will always provide enough resources when its in fact the opposite. Ati tyala bati.
Proactive approach to fires as in they should start fires or what?
Why doesn’t he ask his boss Sata to be proactive about fires? Sata caused this decay by approving street vendors who block access and getting 100% raise instead of buying fire equipment.
Dr.Bwa bwa and this minister, I have a question for you. What lives do you want these guys to save if you clearly don’t care about theirs.With what equipment do you want FIRE FIGHTERS to go wading in sewage yet you believe they could give that much more. Other countries have fire hydrants where fire fighters can access water, but you call them lazy coz YOU want these guys to be running to and fro with a leaking tank..!Have some respect, what have you personally done to make their lives easier. What training have they gone through or failed??
A city as big as Lusaka only has one fire station, two tenders one of which leaks like a basket, unless you are telling me you bought one yesterday? Stop insulting my intelligence and do your job, stop your circus acts and figure out a solution.
AS Said by Pa Bwato We Mbushi we, want do you want them to do, jump in acidic bog? They don’t have boats on their tenders. Mind you Shyt burns you can’t expect them to swim it. Buy them equipment and refurbish the fire that’s when you can complain if they fail to do their job.
When was the last time you bought them fire fighting equipment, protective gear and trucks? They don’t even have fire hydrants? Don’t just talk, put your money where your mouth is!!!! Just look at the control panel near your little fingers! Shame on you!
Laughable how can one be proactive when one has no equipment…unless you want them to use sand to fight fires.
At times I think ministers get easy pay. Say something silly in public, the journalist are present report it and you get you wage. We surely need a cultural shift towards our work in Zambia
Ba Minister, pretending like you don’t know that these guys are ill-equiped. Buy new equipment for them, don’t just go the fire station empty handed to the firemen. Donate something
Correction: Don’t just go to the fire station empty handed to criticize the firemen
Useless Minister….. please buy them proper equipment then you will have the right to talk like that. So this minister could not see the state of our only fire station in Lusaka when he was carelessly making that statement. That picture says it all…. buy them new equipment, remove those vendors from the streets for whats the point of having new equipment with no access roads clear roads, install water fire hydrants then you can talk… what a joke!
Spare a thought for poor Fire Chief Officer Wellingtone in the picture; all he can do is nod his head in agreement…it seems every politician in the ruling party now knows everything to the point of talking down to all the professionals in their sight.
Mr Minister come to Britain with £15,000 and you will buy 4 used Dennis Sabre 1998 Reg Fire Trucks in very good condition; its time government became proactive and flexible in their procurement as well.
I think the general consensus here is that, the fire department in Zambia needs a serious uplift/upgrade with regard to basic equipment. In short, Mr Kalaba needs to ensure that the firemen have what it takes to carry out their duties as they should. Perhaps, he (Kalaba) should go and give his boss (Sata) a comprehensive “real” report on his fire brigade tour and not just lying about what he saw. Better yet, Sata himself needs to go see with is own fimenso. It’s emberassing to even call these chaps “firemen”. How on earth do you go to fight a fire without water? Doesn’t make any sense at all. Moreover, NOT all fires require water to be put out. Forget the equipment, look at their uniforms! These chaps look like lorry boys doing charcoal business at Soweto market. Pathetic!
And just what the hell is that brown counter looking thing? Is that supposed to be the ‘switch board”? Someone tell me it isn’t? If you have an emergency in Zambia, ziba zako. The cops tell you that, they have no transport so book a taxi to pick them up or go in person and pick them up, the firemen tell you they have no fire truck and if they do, they have no water. The doctors and nurses are under staffed, over worked, under payed, under trained…it’s a problem in Zed guys!
What about establishing four or five centers in and around the city with 2 fire tenders for starters? (Around Makeni-Chawama; Chilenje-Chalala; Matero-Kabanana, Chelstone-Northmead etc.)
Pathtic ruushing to the media instead of quietly cleaning their act!
Typical backwards mentality of a Zambian man, talks a lot does little
No Zambian man can tell me anything and satisfy me
I have tried and failed
Thanks
You think that this muzungu anikonde mentality make the white people acept you. You will always black
#18 …”No Zambian man can tell me anything and satisfy me”. You know why? Because, you’re a man too. It must hurt doesn’t it? Maybe if you tried the opposite sex (female) you may have some luck with being satisfied. Some how, you always seem to continiously prove how immature your are with each of your opinions (if they are worth mentioning.)
You owe it to yourself to re-evaluate your thought process which appears to be that of a pre-teen. For once, grow the f.u.c.k up!
Urges them to be proactive? Now there’s a new idea for you….
Eish, and this is our “working government”?
The City Fire Brigade has got equipment.
They need regular and disciplined drills, like the military and police are supposed to have everyday. This helps to sharpen the skills and to be alert at all times. Visit our fire fighters across the country, you will be surprised what they do. They play nsolo or drafts. Then eat nsima pa lunch, dose off a bit and it is time to go home.
Lack of priorities MP’s driving state of the art vehicles while you only have one fire hydrant pathtic
Mr GUNDIX ,it seems you donot understand the state of affairs of FIRE DEPARTMENT in ZED . A fireman without equipment is of no use. FIREMEN are people like you ,they have families .The MINISTER is talking because he is in a wrong position.
If this Minister and the President together with all MPs withheld their salary increments till the end of December next month from May 2012; the money saved would have been directed to the Fire Chief’s Department greedy fo.ols all politicians UNDP, MMD and PF!!!
buy alot of vehicles for them period..don’t seek publicity when you know the problem..
I’ll repeat – Zambians are just fools. My white man is a genius.
Thanks
Ok, after everything has been said what is the man in the middle looking at up the roof? Rats perhaps? cobwebs maybe…………………..just wondering
You get whatever you put in, if you inputed s h i t then s h i t will come out. Its your responsibility to provide them with equipment and training and good working conditions. How are they supposed to be proactive when they have nothing to work with , stupid minister.
Any sane person can’t expect the fire dept can be pro-active without financial support. Stop making these rhetoric antics and satements to cover up your shame, Mr Minister.
The entire country is running like a city – with the ministers as department chiefs zoning and falling over each other. And why should this minister speak for the City of Lusaka? What is the state of the Firefighting teams country-wide? What is the system of enabling emergency access to buildings like? How practical are hydrant locations versus sprouting settlements??? It is systemic – we need to look at more than castigating firefighters… SYSTEMS guys, SYSTEMS!!!
So true. The fact that it is easy or easier for developed countries to fight infernos is because they have systems in place, not just to fight but to prevent the fires. Well said
Yes equipment and training is necessary like some have already pointed out. In addition, how are they supposed to respond on time to an emergency that is happening half way across Lusaka. It isnt possible. They need to build more Fire brigade stations