07 May 2013

Central District deputy council secretary, Mr Mpho Mathe says his office is concerned about domestic fires caused by human error and negligence.

Speaking during the Central District Council (CDC) fire exposition in Bobonong recently, Mr Mathe stated that the fire department was conducting expositions as part of a public education drive to inform people about the dangers of fires.

He said proper handling and safety will not only help people to avoid fire injuries, but will ensure there is no loss of life and damage to property caused by poor handling of the fire.

He explained that if people have knowledge of safety and fire management procedures, fire incidences would decline.

Mr Mathe also warned residents to avoid placing combustibles near fires as they catalyse fire incidents.He said since winter was approaching and fire incidents are common during this season, it was important to heed the messages and lessons learnt at the exposition.

For his part, CDC fire expert, Mr Whitfield Joshua said there should be a moral obligation to cover fire but noted that although the central district has a huge population, there are only two fire response stations in Serowe and Palapye.He noted that despite the challenges, officials have an obligation to ensure extensive fire coverage is provided.

Mr Joshua further noted that according to world standards, fire response should be within 8-10 minutes and the current situation makes it almost impossible to meet these standards.

However, he said CDC was trying to have fire responses in all seven sub districts, adding that with support of management, Serowe and Palapye currently remain one of the best response teams in the country boasting modern equipment.

He said the district intends to establish satellite fire responses within the sub districts because the community expects some level of protection.

Mr Joshua also expressed concern that 94 per cent of fire cases were due to negligence, hence a need to host an exposition for members of the community. ENDS