The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has acquired modern search-and-rescue equipment worth over N25 million.
The Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed, who unveiled the equipment at Alausa, Ikeja, said they would be used in securing lives during building collapse, motor accidents and other emergencies/disasters.
Ahmed said the equipment, such as the Delsa, could be used to detect anyone tucked under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
The Weber Hydraulics Power Unit can be used to remove victims from crushed vehicles during motor accidents, he added.
The commissioner said government would continue to improve the human capacity of its emergency responders and those using the equipment to ensure minimum number of casualties and mortalities during disasters and emergencies.
Ahmed said: ”It is pertinent to stress that the government will no longer pardon house owners whose properties have been marked for demolition and contractors who fail to put in place standard safety measures during construction; or construction engineers who fail to carry out proper soil test and anyone using substandard materials for construction. All these problems contribute to issues associated with building collapse.”
The General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, CEO, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the acquisition of the equipment is a demonstration of its commitment to the safety of lives and property.
”Emergencies and disasters, by nature, are unforeseen and sudden and this explains why the blows inflicted by them are usually deadly and diverse. But the procurement of these equipment would assist the agency to mitigate these effects,” he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the agency had performed well in the discharge of its mandate, adding that its impact was felt during incidents of flooding, building collapse, fire outbreaks and road accidents.
He said the agency would extend the tentacles of its work to every nook and crannies of the state.
TheNation