A modern fire station constructed in Kisumu City through the Kenya Urban Support Programme is set to be operationalised.
The facility, domiciled at the Kisumu Works Yard has been installed with modern technology to give impetus to the city’s disaster preparedness programmes.
Acting City Manager (CM) Abala Wanga said the station has been installed with Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) for swift response and coordination in the event of a fire outbreak.
The communication system, he added, has been linked to the police stations in the area with space allocated for the officers Quick Response Team (QRT).
Besides having enough space for county fire engines, additional space, he disclosed, has been created for private fire engines to ensure timely response to disasters.
The city management, he added, was in the process of establishing additional water hydrants at strategic points within the lakeside city to enhance easy access for fire engines.
Wanga said onboarding the private sector was necessary to give a holistic approach to disasters whenever they strike.
The collaboration, he added, has been beneficial with the recent fire outbreaks contained within record time.
Speaking at Kisumu Boys High School, where fire gutted down a store and dormitory on Monday night, Wanga said the new fire station shall be launched before the end of the year.
Nyanza Regional Director of Education Nelson Sifuna said 260 students were affected by the fire incident.
However, he said no injury was recorded, adding that the school community managed to rescue all the student’s belongings before the fire consumed the entire building.
“The fire started in a store which had mattresses. However, the school community moved with speed and managed to remove the student’s belongings from the dormitory. All the students have been accounted for,” he said.
With cases of fire outbreaks in schools on the rise, Sifuna said his office was in consultations with the Nyanza Regional Commissioner (RC) to hold a security meeting to address the matter.
He asked Parents Teachers Associations (PTA’s), Boards of Governors (BOG’s) and the teaching fraternity to be on the lookout to ensure that the institutions remain safe.
By Zipporah Akoth and Millicent Ouko
