The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Dr Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, has urged fire officers across the country to prioritise family emergency preparedness as part of efforts to strengthen operational efficiency and personnel welfare. He emphasised that officers who are mentally stable and confident about their families’ safety are better positioned to perform effectively during life saving operations.
The Controller General made the call while receiving members of the Fire Officers Wives Association Kano Command, led by the Chairperson, Mrs Latifah Sholadoye, during a meeting centred on welfare, resilience and support systems for firefighters and their families.
He explained that emergency responders regularly face high risk situations, and concerns about the wellbeing of their families can negatively affect concentration and response time during rescue missions. He therefore advised officers to ensure that their spouses and immediate family members have access to essential personal and financial information to enable swift decision making in times of emergency.
According to him, when an officer is assured that the home front is organised and secure, he responds faster, thinks more clearly and ultimately saves more lives. He described the association as a strategic partner in promoting emotional stability, discipline and morale within the Service, noting that strong family support enhances professionalism, courage and coordination during fire and rescue operations.
As part of the Service’s welfare policy, the Controller General also reaffirmed support for families of fallen officers through the association, stressing that the Service remains committed to standing by dependants of personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty. He noted that his ongoing engagements in Kano are aimed at strengthening service delivery, improving emergency response coordination and reinforcing welfare driven leadership across the Command.