The Kaduna State Fire Service says it is undertaking fire prevention inspection to business premises in the state to ensure the safety of lives and property.

Mr Paul Aboi, the  state Director,  Fire Service,  made this known on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

He said the inspection was necessary following  incessant fire outbreaks in the state.

Aboi said the fire service issued inspection notice before  the visits, adding that so far, only 64 business premises were certified to be fire safety compliant within Kaduna metropolis.

According to him, business owners often ignore vital things such as installation of fire safety gadgets, smoke detectors, fire alarms, automatic fire extinguishers, and emergency exit.

“Each business premises should have functional fire extinguisher and all workers should know how to use it,” he explained.

Aboi said places targeted by the service include hotels, restaurants, banks, bakeries, filling stations, supermarkets, industries, gas stations, cinemas, schools, and hospitals, among others.

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He advised business owners in the state  to cooperate with fire officers conducting the inspection, to ensure the safety of their businesses and employees.

Aboi warned that the service would sanction anyone who hinders the process.

On the service response to incidents, the director said their  intervention was dependent on how fast the office was notified.

“People should get our emergency numbers and call us during  fire outbreaks. It is safer to call us than drive all the way to the office.

“Our quick response to fire outbreaks issue is dependent on how fast the office is notified,” he said.

On the inferno that affected Freedom Radio, he said the service was not informed on time.

“We got the distress call at 2:40 am and  we arrived in 10 minutes, that was because of the road construction and we had to change route.

“When we got there , the fire had consumed most parts of the building but our investigation showed it was an electrical fault,”  he added. (NAN)

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