MONROVIA — Montserrado County Senator Saah Joseph has raised an alarm over the failure of the past and current Governments of Liberia (GOL), through the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS), to procure nearly US$2million firefighting equipment intended to combat against fire incidents across the country.
By Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
The Congress of Democratic Change lawmaker disclosed that since money was allocated in the just implemented national budget for Fiscal Year 2024, the purchasing of fire-fighting equipment, including trucks and the training of personnel, the LNFS has not procured any equipment to enhance its operations.
As a result of this, Senator Joseph maintained that fire incidents continue to destroy lives and properties of citizens, especially ordinary Liberians, who are encountering severe hardship and economic challenges in the country.
He made these assertions in an exclusive interview with FrontPage Africa at his Capitol Building office in Monrovia on Thursday, January 16.
He disclosed that though authorities of the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS) conducted a competitive bidding process and awarded contracts to several companies to procure fire fighting equipment, those equipment are yet to arrive in Liberia to address the growing wave of fire disasters.
Senator Joseph is on record for calling on the government to procure and assign fire trucks to each of the 73 electoral districts across Liberia.
But his proposal was narrowed to the provision of at least five fire trucks for Montserrado and other regions during legislative deliberations on the 2024 National Budget.
“Money was appropriated and approved in the 2023 budget of the previous administration which we learned went through the PPCC process for a company to bring in two fire trucks and other pickups for the fire service. Up to present, the government has not received those items.”
He continued: Additional appropriation was made again after I raised the issue to Plenary and my colleagues supported the idea. Up to present, we have not seen any result from the LNFS. When they are called upon, their arrival time is very, very late.”
Senator Joseph maintained that no new efforts or trucks have been procured from past budgetary allocations to the LNFS, thereby endangering the lives and properties of citizens.
He stressed the need for the Plenary of the Liberian Senate to invite authorities of the LNFS and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to appear before that August Body to provide reasons why fire fighting equipment have not been procured by the government up to present.
“When do we expect the fire trucks? At this time, we expect the new fire trucks to be here because the appropriation was made in the 2024 national budget; we are in 2025. This means one year has already gone. What I know is that, the US$3.5M proposal I made, about US$1.7M was approved in the budget. With additional supplies, it takes up to US$2million to bring in fire trucks and other equipment. But unfortunately, we are not seeing efforts or new trucks.”
Senator Joseph maintained that Liberians, especially those residing in Montserrado, have been feeling the pinch of the lack of logistics to combat fire incidents.
According to him, hundreds of citizens continue to be made homeless as a result of the situation.
“Why are the fire trucks not here? The Liberian people will not accept this; they have to do everything they can.”
Senator Joseph used this medium to call on the LNFS and the Liberia National Police (LNP) to launch an investigation into frequent fire incidents across the country amid reports that the homes of citizens are being set ablaze by unknown individuals for political reasons.
He said though he cannot deny or confirm these reports, the police are under obligation to combat crimes and as such, it should take steps to apprehend those who may be linked to the act.
“I agree that they (police) should go ahead and do their investigation and it is their responsibility to do that. We don’t even have to inform them. They are supposed to investigate and get back to us. “
He added that the investigation should be able to establish which group or individual is involved with the burning of homes for political reasons.
He maintained that the LNFS must provide a comprehensive analysis on the root causes of fire disasters in the country.
Senator Joseph emphasized that the LNFS must be made to provide details on why it is taking so long for fire trucks and other equipment which have been budgeted for to arrive in the country.
“Why have the fire trucks not been purchased? Why is it that additional manpower has not been trained? Why are we still getting support from LPRC, Sethi Brothers and National Port Authority (NPA) fire trucks? The Fire Service must be able to respond in time; they must be able to procure new equipment as appropriated in the national budget.”
Senator Joseph, however, called on Liberians to take precautionary measures against fire outbreaks to prevent the loss of lives and destruction of their properties.
When contacted via telephone, the Director of the LNFS G. Warsuwah Barvoul failed to provide a definite time the fire fighting equipment would arrive in Liberia.
According to him, the vendors selected to procure the fire trucks and pickups were requesting for about 60% payment before procuring the equipment from their suppliers abroad.
“The vendors received the 60% and they put in for the trucks; we are talking about six trucks, three water tankers and three fire jeeps. They (vendors) just put in the order and they will come and tell us when they expect those things to be here.”
Barvoul, however, failed to disclose the names of the companies that have been awarded separate contracts to procure fire fighting equipment for the LNFS in keeping with transparency and accountability.
His refusal comes in the wake of reports that kickbacks were allegedly offered some higher-ups at the entity to award the contracts.
The Liberia National Fire Services (LNFS) was established in 1963 to safeguard the lives and properties of Liberians and non-Liberians from the scourge of destructive fire, across the length and breadth of the country, as well as to promote efficient fire prevention services.
Toward the full attainment of the overall mission statement of the agency, four (4) basic areas of services are offered including Fire prevention – This is an activity of fire safety involving the regular inspection of various types of occupancies and vehicles, providing education for precautionary and protection measures that are necessary to ensure safety from fire, this is referred to as fighting the fire before its occurrence, and Firefighting – This activity involves the physical combat of the outbreak, burning and spread of fire, which requires the combination of basic training with professional skills, and the use of proper equipment and tools-fighting fire during the occurrence.
The rest are Ambulance services – Using professional and simple life-saving methods, combined with skills and life-saving equipment to save life or evacuate from cave-ins in burning buildings, vehicles and other entrapments and Fire investigation – The use of conventional approaches and skills to conduct ground assessment of fire incidents and determine their causes and effects, to detect if clues determine arson, and producing historical data of all incidents and investigations – fighting fire after the fire.
