Fire Service Without Water!
Few days ago, I was forced once gain to behold a bizarre sight that left me wondering whether we are a nation of human beings or that of lower animals.
I was teaching in class between 8 and 9 in the morning and we had two slight explosions inside the class room. The students promptly switched off all the lights in the class room. We were not aware of what was going on. The class continued because I insisted on moving on with it. When the first explosion came, one of the students, a girl was already outside the classroom before I could know it. We jokingly dwelt on her "cowardice" for a while and before long the second explosion came. So we promptly switched off all electrical appliances in the room off. Little did we know that something more sinister was lurking in the wings.
About ten minutes later, some students looked out of the window and saw one of the buildings adjacent to ours on fire. It was a little one at first, but before we could say "Atilogwu" the whole building was engulfed in the flame. The class ended abruptly. It didn't even wait for me to end it. We all went outside to see what was happening. And the entire block was immediately overwhelmed by the rampaging fire. Some students were shouting for fire service to come. My concern (and every other person's concern) at the moment was how to halt the fire so that it doesn't spread to other buildings.
As if in answer to our prayers, a school water tanker pulled up. Gallant students hastily turned into emergency response officials and tried to use the water house to douse the flames. But the hose resisted because it has always been used only for watering the beautiful lawns of the university. It has never been coerced into emergency services and I understand with the poor hose. The fire continued unabated.
Though it was tragic, yesterday gave me a better insight as to the kind of students we have in this institution. They are fearless. They are creative and good at taking initiatives. A good number of them jumped to the roof of the two blocks of offices that were being threatened by the fire and using the fire extinguishers which are readily available all over campus, they prevented the fire from spreading. Using crude equipment, the separated the aluminium roofing sheets that could have helped transfer the fire to the other buildings and thus were able to save other offices from being gutted by the fire. Using buckets and metal waste bins, they poured water on the flames until it eventually yielded to their onslaught. One student fell from the roof of one of the buildings after inhaling more smoke than his system could carry. Our prayers are with him that he will survive! The fire succumbed to the gallantry of these students who may never have encountered fire in their young lives!
My Disappointment
I took time to praise the heroism of our students. But permit me a little space to tell you that fire service officials came with their siren, tanker and well-pressed blue uniforms. They blared into the campus bringing relief that somehow help has come. But behold, their water pipes could only throw less than a bucket of water at the fire. I could see a couple of untrained fire fighters, without helmets, without protective suits and their tanker as unbelievably without water!
"What did they come to do?" one asked rhetorically. I have never heard that sirens put out fire. Just when we thought that they have done their worst, some students quickly helped to transfer water from the school's water tanker to the fire service water truck. While this was going on, the fire was showing no respite whatsoever. It raged on. But thank goodness that some students were not deterred by the distraction of the fire service.
I have heard before that fire service officials arrive at emergency sites only to realise that they came without water. Seeing it first hand was as demoralising as one's "member" failing to rise to the occasion after the mouth and other parts have succeeded in getting the fair sex to play.
The police was also there. Armed to the teeth. For what? To shoot the fire into submission? I cannot tell. A smartly dressed officer, with two gun-totting escorts marches to the scene of the fire. Due to the crowd, I was not able to see what he went to do. But he left almost immediately after inspecting a small guard of honour hurriedly organised by his boys beside his convoy. And off he went, but the fire went on.
The fire service water tanker must be allergic to water!
First, it came empty. Secondly, after its taker received some water from the university water tanker, the fire service engine failed to start. As such, it had to be pushed out from the scene by hand. I heard the siren when it came, but I didn't hear any as it rode on its show of shame away from the university, through a back gate!
What a shame! Fire service, my foot! I have learnt my lessons: next time there's a fire, do not allow fire service anywhere near you till you are sure they have water. If they come blaring behind you in a traffic, before you make way for them, ensure they have water before you throw away your position in the queue for nothing!
I was teaching in class between 8 and 9 in the morning and we had two slight explosions inside the class room. The students promptly switched off all the lights in the class room. We were not aware of what was going on. The class continued because I insisted on moving on with it. When the first explosion came, one of the students, a girl was already outside the classroom before I could know it. We jokingly dwelt on her "cowardice" for a while and before long the second explosion came. So we promptly switched off all electrical appliances in the room off. Little did we know that something more sinister was lurking in the wings.
About ten minutes later, some students looked out of the window and saw one of the buildings adjacent to ours on fire. It was a little one at first, but before we could say "Atilogwu" the whole building was engulfed in the flame. The class ended abruptly. It didn't even wait for me to end it. We all went outside to see what was happening. And the entire block was immediately overwhelmed by the rampaging fire. Some students were shouting for fire service to come. My concern (and every other person's concern) at the moment was how to halt the fire so that it doesn't spread to other buildings.
As if in answer to our prayers, a school water tanker pulled up. Gallant students hastily turned into emergency response officials and tried to use the water house to douse the flames. But the hose resisted because it has always been used only for watering the beautiful lawns of the university. It has never been coerced into emergency services and I understand with the poor hose. The fire continued unabated.
My Disappointment
I took time to praise the heroism of our students. But permit me a little space to tell you that fire service officials came with their siren, tanker and well-pressed blue uniforms. They blared into the campus bringing relief that somehow help has come. But behold, their water pipes could only throw less than a bucket of water at the fire. I could see a couple of untrained fire fighters, without helmets, without protective suits and their tanker as unbelievably without water!
"What did they come to do?" one asked rhetorically. I have never heard that sirens put out fire. Just when we thought that they have done their worst, some students quickly helped to transfer water from the school's water tanker to the fire service water truck. While this was going on, the fire was showing no respite whatsoever. It raged on. But thank goodness that some students were not deterred by the distraction of the fire service.
I have heard before that fire service officials arrive at emergency sites only to realise that they came without water. Seeing it first hand was as demoralising as one's "member" failing to rise to the occasion after the mouth and other parts have succeeded in getting the fair sex to play.
The police was also there. Armed to the teeth. For what? To shoot the fire into submission? I cannot tell. A smartly dressed officer, with two gun-totting escorts marches to the scene of the fire. Due to the crowd, I was not able to see what he went to do. But he left almost immediately after inspecting a small guard of honour hurriedly organised by his boys beside his convoy. And off he went, but the fire went on.
The fire service water tanker must be allergic to water!
First, it came empty. Secondly, after its taker received some water from the university water tanker, the fire service engine failed to start. As such, it had to be pushed out from the scene by hand. I heard the siren when it came, but I didn't hear any as it rode on its show of shame away from the university, through a back gate!
What a shame! Fire service, my foot! I have learnt my lessons: next time there's a fire, do not allow fire service anywhere near you till you are sure they have water. If they come blaring behind you in a traffic, before you make way for them, ensure they have water before you throw away your position in the queue for nothing!
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