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Having municipal fire brigades superb idea
2007-10-29 08:31:57
By Editor
One reason governments are there is to ensure the sustained availability of as many public services as are needed to enable the people to lead a reasonably decent life.
The fact that seldom does a country have enough resources to make that happen makes the nature and role of government business complex and dynamic indeed.
The range of the services is always wide, which makes their delivery a dynamic process reflecting the people’s ever changing needs, demands and expectations.
Invariably, the complexity of the situation means that the government needs to be more actively creatively engaged in initiatives aimed at finding solutions to the problems involved instead of retreating.
The government must stare problems in the face, treating them more as challenges that must be met head on because times of crisis are often occasions for more pragmatic reflection and planning for the future.
It is during such adversity that strategies to achieve efficiency and the broader public benefits of service delivery are put to the test.
Jamal Rwambow, Regional Police Commander for Kinondoni in Dar es Salaam, must have had this at the back of his mind when he recently recommended ways to deal with the now so frequent house, industrial and other fire outbreaks in the city.
In a rare departure from the overly bureaucratic displays many public officials are usually notorious for, the RPC stated bluntly that the way the state of the public fire and rescue services left much to be desired.
But Rwambow did not start and end there. He went on to express his deep concern over the fact that privately run fire and rescue services usually swung into action only after their demands for hefty fees were met – meaning that they often got involved too late.
Of course, we know of cases where reason and compassion have outweighed economic considerations.
The RPC has made a very valid point. For, surely, how would anybody expect a City Fire Brigade based just next to Jangwani Secondary School in down town Dar es Salaam to effectively deal with a raging fire in another part of the city 20 to 30 km away?
All things considered, we do not see the Dar es Salaam City Council encountering any major problems planning to implement the recommendation by the Kinondoni regional police boss that the brigade consider decentralising its operations.
Could anybody really convincingly argue that the impact of fire outbreaks in the city would necessarily be greater with small but well-equipped municipality-level fire brigades than under the present centralised system?
There is no arguing that the relevance of fire and rescue services lies in the punctuality and efficiency with which they are offered.
Being well-placed in terms of staff, funding, equipment and other basic requirements is obviously important but there is much more to an efficient system than a combination of these.
We need to see more accessible, efficient, affordable and sustainable fire and rescue brigades. That is the Kinondoni RPC’s plea. And he is right.
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