Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Thirty-three Trainee Firefighters trained by Belemaoil Producing limited, an indigeneous oil company based in Port Harcourt in basic firefighting techniques have graduated after three weeks intensive training.
The trainees performed fire drills at the Abuloma Jetty where they displayed the firefighting skills they have learnt training their alongside with their trainer, Mr. Gary Eve, the Chief Firefighting Officer at the occasion in which they were handed their certificates recently.
While reviewing the preformance of the trainees, Mr Eve said they had performed within the acceptable international basic fire fighting standards.
At the certicate presentation ceremony, Mrs Rosemary C. Asiegbu, Executive Vice President/Administration and Human Resources, Belemaoil who spoke on behalf of the founder of the company, Tein Jack-Rich Jr., commended the new firefighters for their doggedness in ensuring that they pull through the intensive training and that they are now equipped with skills for saving lives and properties.
She noted that with the training, Belemaoil company has given them a life time opportunity of saving lives in times of emergency even while putting their own lives at risk.
“You have chosen a career that will make people regard as heroes. We are first indigenous oil company to implement our Health, Safety and Environment, HSE, that will impact on not only our immediate host communities but any part of the state where there fire disaster.”
She assured the 33 Firefighters that the company invested enormous human and material resources in training and enpowering them because of the vital need to save lives in the work place and its environs. She assured that the firefighters will also respond to the needs of the people within the state.
After the presentation of Certificates, Mr Gibson Okuruma,who spoke on behalf of the other graduating firefighters praised Belemaoil company for finding them worthy to be trained through a transparent selection process without bias.
He assured the company that they will put the skills acquired through intensive training to works to save lives, but he pleaded that the management should sponsor the for further training.
In an oil producing environment like Rivers state where petroleum products are often handled carelessly, the addition of 33 trained firefighters to the pool of existing firefighters in the state will go a long way in fire and rescue operation.