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Uganda Police Fire Brigade was created in 1904 when
the British started the police force in Uganda. Shifa Mwesigye
talked to the Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Adima Okulu
Lawrence about what the Brigade does.
How well prepared are you to handle a fire outbreak?
We have stations in Kampala, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara and
Fort Portal. At the moment we have three fire attendants
and two water tankers at this station (Kampala). The rest
are in the garage for [maintenance].
Of course they are not enough to cover the whole country.
The whole Northern region, North East and Deep South is
not covered because resources are not enough. There is a
donor trying to help us improve our operations.
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| Adima Okulu Lawrence |
How about man power and training of the fire fighters?
In terms of manpower and training we are OK. People who
want to join the Fire Brigade first go to Masindi to complete
police training then they come here for training in fire
fighting. So, people who come out are well trained to handle
challenging emergency situations.
How frequently are you called on to handle a fire
outbreak?
In 2007, on a daily basis, the average was four times a
day; right now it is more. If you combine day and night
it can even go up to ten. Uganda’s population is growing
and the number of people using electricity, candles and
people who cook has increased. The bigger the population,
the greater the fire risks.
What are the commonest causes of fire in Uganda?
-The commonest is electric [short circuits], faulty electrical
wiring plus plugs and sockets in poor condition. Over loading
of power supplies and inadequately protected devices could
also cause a fire when they blow up.
-We don’t discourage people from using candles, but
the second cause of most fires is candles. Candles are very
risky but if you properly used them there is no problem.
-Electrical equipment left switched-on when not in use,
unless it is designed to be permanently connected.
-Careless disposal of cigarettes, the content of pipes and
matches.
-Accumulation of rubbish, paper or other materials that
can easily catch fire.
-Combustible materials left close to sources of heat.
-Obstruction to ventilation for heaters [and other machinery].
-Inadequate supervision of cooking activities.
-Another cause is isolated cases of arson.
How would you advice people to guard against fire?
-Have fire fighting equipment like extinguishers, to avoid
thinking of solutions only when the fire breaks out. Check
to make sure they are in good condition and use them as
you wait for the fire brigade to come.
-Have means of exit, especially in large buildings, for
people to escape when there is a fire.
-Don’t leave material that easily catches fire near
a heat source. Have an ash tray for disposing cigarette
butts after smoking. Before you go to sleep, switch off
all electrical equipment.
What is your comment on the Budo fire?
It was a very sad thing for us. Of course when we are fighting
fire we are hoping that less damage is done. So when in
Budo 19 bodies were recovered, it was very sad for us as
the Fire Brigade.
But people say you got there late
That is bias by people who are against police. It takes
4 minutes for a fire to accelerate. When they call, they
expect you to drive from here and arrive at the site in
a few minutes, regardless of distance [and traffic]. Our
response was very quick; we took 20 minutes to get there
and immediately started fighting the fire.
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