Ten police officers on Thursday October 15, 2020 completed a 4-months specialized training in firefighting.
AIGP Jack Bakasumba, the Chief of Joint Staff, congratulated the officers for completing the course.
Bakasumba urged the successful officers to be disciplined and promised to present the challenges affecting the directorate before the police management. He also called upon the officers to handle the equipment at hand with care.
AIGP Joseph Mugisa, the Director Fire and Rescue Services, said the skills exhibited by trainees during the pass out showed that their competence in executing the tasks.
“As you all know fire and rescue services require a prepared mind, a prepared soul, requires skills to save body and determination and skills to put out a fire, knowledge to effect a rescue in an intricate situation and that’s what we trained them to do using high tech equipment, and ordinary but useful equipment to save a life by effecting a rescue,” Mugisa said.
During the four months, trainees were equipped with skills in escapement rescue, managing oil spillage, tackling a very complicated fire problem like a bulk petroleum storage installation, and firefighting in an air craft.
Mugisa also reminded developers of hotels, shopping arcades, office building to be conscious of fire safety requirements and fire protection requirements of a building by realizing that not a single building worthy its name is immune to a fire outbreak.
“Fire or any emergency can strike in any building of whatever name and nature. Therefore, the aspect of fire prevention and protection is critical and I appeal to any developer to liaise with any fire station nearest to you for technical guidance, to be guided on inclusion of fire protection systems in your building,” he said.
Mugisa added: “I would like to assure the public that the fire service setup is arranged to respond immediately to emergencies. There is no time when the fire service can respond without the requisite ammunitions and that ammunition is water.”
He requested town councils, municipals, to ensure that buildings that are being developed are based on approved plans with a very big component of fire protection and safety of the occupants with functioning Fire hydrants.
On training, he said the directorate will continue training officers for purposes of enhancing human capacity and spread out to cover most parts of the country so that fire services are brought nearer to the people.
