The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called for greater synergy among emergency responders to ensure promptness and coordination during disaster outbreaks in the South-East.
Key Highlights
- NEMA has called for greater coordination among emergency responders across the South-East.
- The agency made the call during a one-day urban search and rescue refresher training in Enugu.
- NEMA South-East Director Walson Brandon said disaster response requires a coordinated, multi-agency approach.
- Emergency responders were urged to undergo regular training, retraining and psychological preparation.
- Participants were encouraged to understand their specific roles and work together during disaster operations.
Director, NEMA South-East Zone, Mr. Walson Brandon, made the call on Wednesday in Enugu, during a one-day stakeholders refresher training on urban search and rescue activities.
Represented by the Assistant Director, Search and Rescue NEMA, Mr. Ifeyinwa Onyia, the director noted that disaster response remains a shared responsibility, which required multi-stakeholders approach for timely and robust intervention that yield quick results.
According to him, responders and responding agencies must be appropriately trained, retrained and psychologically prepared for timely respond and know clear roles to play at disaster sites.
“We are working to build robust and well-coordinated response team, involving all responding agencies and personnel being and working in synergy to safe-guard lives and property of Nigerians.
“So, I will urge stakeholders here to participate fully, share ideas and bring their specialty to bear in handling emergency disaster issues,” he said.
Speaking, the Head of NEMA Enugu Operation Office, Mrs. Priscilla Madukwe, said that the training was imperative to remind and refresh stakeholders of their roles and need for team work during disasters.
Madukwe noted that as the threat of disaster heightens, emergency responders must gear up and be timely andproactive to any disaster response.
“With the refresher training, we are upping our preparedness to respond and respond robustly, while everyone is carried alone and each agency or person know definitely role to play,” she said.
The head appreciated the stakeholders for the support given to NEMA and for their commitment to respond to disasters.
Contributing, the Enugu State Coordinator of Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC), Mr. Emeka Okoh, lauded NEMA for organising the training and coordinating all emergency responding agencies.
Okoh noted that the refresher training would afford stakeholders opportunity to share experiences and interact for better understanding on what to do during disasters.
In a goodwill message, the Deputy Superintendent of Fire, Ifeyinwa Egbo, said that the Federal Fire Service has continued to provide leadership on fire and rescue services in the country.
“It is good that the refresher training is coming now and to sharpen our responding rate and ensure the negative impact of disaster would be minimised,” she said.
