Machakos County Emergencies and Rescue Services Deputy Director, Festus Kitugu, has the area residents to call emergency lines whenever disasters strike for quick responses to effectively rescue victims.
Addressing the press in Athi River town on Sunday, Kitugu said that residents lose numerous property due to delay in responding by the emergency response services to get to the scene because they do not alert the relevant authorities in time.
"Machakos County government is well equipped and prepared to handle and effectively contain all sorts of emergencies whenever they strike, we therefore call for residents' co-operation to call emergency lines immediately they see fire for quick response to avoid delays and promptly contain the situation," said Kitugu.
Kitugu revealed that the county government had customised 999112 which is a toll free line stating that in the event the line was not getting through, victims of emergencies would use three other alternative lines for emergencies ranging from accidents, fire out breakages, acute health conditions, drought among others.
He said the numbers are 0720841462, 0720841461 and 0720808900 disclosing that the numbers are not toll free.
The director said Kenyans generally take too long to call in times of emergencies thereby compromising rescue missions since rescuers get to most of the scenes when damage is already advanced at times beyond control.
He said that the county government was committed to upgrading all slums in the county in a bid to reducing emergencies especially fire outbreaks which he argued was mostly rampant in the slums.
"We need to upgrade the slums from cartons, mud, iron sheets and timber, to better structures, this will reduce fire break occurrences that are apparently concentrated in the slums," said Kitugu.
He called on all stakeholders from the region including NGOs, Civil Society Organisations and private institutions to partner with the county government to raise awareness levels of fire safety in the region.
Kitugu added that the residents need to understand and embrace fire safety practices to combat rampant fire incidences in the region.
He also called on provincial administrators to make good use of Barazas among other forum to raise awareness on fire basic safety practices.
The director was in company of Mavoko sub-county Fire Brigade supervisor Dancun Kamatu and Machakos County Fire Brigade Supervisor, Francis Nzioki whom both said cooking areas in slums need to be outside structures, properly guarded and kept away from inflammable materials.