A majority of Nakuru residents are demanding for an overhaul of the county fire department saying their sluggishness in responding to calls of distress was now a matter of concern.
Speaking on the sidelines of a fire incident at the Rumish Limited Company on Saturday, they accused the department of taking too long to arrive at accident scenes something they say had cost companies and even individuals with unimaginable losses.
On the material day, they believed the paints company could have been salvaged if only the fire brigade had arrived on time.
"We called them immediately the fire broke out but three hours down the line, they had not arrived as the fire continued spreading," noted Eliakim Nyongesa, a watchman at the factory.
The residents, a majority of them who were youth working at the factory are now calling on the county government to offer them jobs that will keep them going saying the accident had rendered them jobless.
"If the fire fighters could have responded in time, the damage could not be this much. We are now jobless and don't have any other source of income, our governor should help us find a lasting solution because we don't want to engage in crime," offered Erastus Karanja.
However, when contacted, the fire department downplayed the allegations saying they received the call late when the damage had already been done.
"It's our responsibility to deal will all fire incidents within Nakuru and we are committed to executing our duties without discrimination. If we had received the call in time, we could have responded immediately," noted James Mbugua, an officer from the county's fire department.
The Saturday inferno razed the paints company leading to a loss estimated at millions of shillings.