Zomba City in need of fire fighting engines

Zomba City Council mayor Davie Maunde says the council is in dire need of new fire engines to help in emergency responses in the Eastern Region.

He made the appeal on Wednesday in Zomba when the council officially opened a two-day training of the city’s nine fire fighters.

Maunde said the current four firefighting trucks are old, which makes the council fail to help in rescue missions.

“The council appeals to government and other concerned organisations to assist the institution with the firefighting engines suitable to the modern world to expel the old ones which are not roadworthy,” he said.

The council’s lead fire fighter, Roselyn Kalibeti, said the firefighting engines are out-of-date with the oldest commissioned in 1986 and the latest in 2005.

He said: “Government should consider establishing fire substations at Liwonde, Balaka, Mangochi and Ntcheu to beef-up emergency responses.

“The district councils in the region should also think through fixing fire hydrants along the M3 to help the engines with water.”

Africa Fire Mission director of programmes Nancy Moore said lack of firefighting engines in the city is tragic.

“We provide fire fighters with up-to-date skills and modern equipment in fire safety services,” she said.