Safety, and Natural Disasters
By Wremongar Blojay Joe, II, wremongarjoe@gmail.com
Nearly every day, families lose homes to some form of fire outbreaks that often result into death. In many cases, entire family members are tragically reduced by fire incidents in and around Monrovia.
Fire outbreaks have become a common occurrence in the Liberian capital, with nearly every household now increasingly on the alert.
However, little or nothing has been done by the government to reverse or minimize the frequency of these devastating fire incidents, which are ravaging businesses, homes and even government buildings, leaving communities in despair and financial ruin.
In response, a group of Liberians is mounting pressure on the Joseph Boakai administration to address the escalating fire crisis and natural disasters wreaking havoc across Liberia.
The Concerned Liberians for the Prioritization of Safety Related to Fire and Natural Disasters is an advocacy group dedicated to advocating for the safety and well-being of all Liberians in the face of increasing fire crises and natural disasters.
The group has committed to working “tirelessly” to raise awareness, mobilize communities, and “hold government officials accountable for safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of fellow citizens”.
The Concerned Liberians for the Prioritization of Safety Related to Fire and Natural Disasters estimates that without decisive action, Liberia could witness an alarming surge of 400 to 500 fire cases by the end of 2024, further exacerbating the already dire situation.
The coordinator of the Concerned Liberians for the Prioritization of Safety Related to Fire and Natural Disasters, Amos Nyagontee Wuo Quiah Sr., believes the situation could worsen, leading to more loss of lives and properties due to the lack of a clearly defined roadmap, strategy, and finance to combat fire outbreaks. The group urges communities living in the shadow of these safety threats to demand urgent action not just from President Joseph Boakai but also from their elected representatives.
Senators, representatives, and the president, he said, must prioritize the safety and well-being of all Liberians by implementing robust measures to prevent and mitigate the impact of fires and natural disasters.
The group emphasizes the imperative for Liberians to unite and demand accountability from their leaders.
The Concerned Liberians for the Prioritization of Safety Related to Fire and Natural Disasters urges all citizens to join their call to action, believing that together, Liberians can strive to preserve life and protect communities across Liberia.
The situation of fire outbreaks is inherent and complicated. Still, it is worsened by Liberia having the smallest budgetary allocation to its fire service and emergency disaster management agencies in the Mano River Union (MRU) community, according to the last five budgets of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire.
The January to February 2024 fire statistics report from the Liberia National Fire Service shows 25 fire incidents, 11 deaths, and 2 injuries, with February totaling 19 fire incidents. In 2023 alone, LNFS recorded 92 Class A fire outbreaks, 30 Class B Fires, and 6 Class C fire incidents.
The firehouses in all of Liberia are poorly built and lack the necessary equipment, PPEs, and engines for a nation of 5.5 million. Firefighters are paid $95 and LD$4000 per month, one of the lowest-paid civil servants in Liberia, creating low morale amongst the 800 plus men and women. Unlike their counterparts in the region and elsewhere, they rank at the bottom of the service respectability ladder.
According to the WHO data published in 2020, fire deaths in Liberia reached 153 or 0.45% of total deaths in 2020, with an age-adjusted Death Rate of 3.65 per 100,000 of the population, ranking Liberia #35 in the world. The fire service cites inadequate budgetary support and logistics from the national government as challenges, leading to insufficient firefighting equipment, trucks, personal protective equipment (PPE), water tanks, and pick-up trucks.
For the fiscal year 2024, the government has allotted 2.1 million to the National Fire Service, with nearly all of it going towards compensation. There are no fully functional fire stations in Monrovia and the leeward counties, and the central office of the National Fire Service has only two useful vehicles with no basic office supplies or even fuel oil.
Edwin Tisdell, Deputy for Operations at the Liberia National Fire Service, wrote a Facebook post a few days ago, highlighting the root causes of recent home fires, such as substandard wiring and mishandling of flammable materials.
He did not however give any evidence to back these claims. But, he emphasized plans to enhance testing centers, establish a 24-hour hotline for public access, and propose the creation of firetruck stations to improve response times.
Additionally, Tisdell discussed forthcoming communication channels, including active social media pages and a website, and announced upcoming fire extinguisher inspections for buildings and vehicles. Commending the team’s successful management of a recent fire incident, he underscored the importance of proactive action in achieving Liberia’s envisioned transformation, prioritizing tangible results over mere rhetoric.
At the same time, the coordinator of the Concerned Liberians for the Prioritization of Safety Related to Fire and Natural Disasters, Amos Nyagontee Wuo Quiah Sr., said the group will work to raise awareness and mobilize communities to ensure that the government changes its approach to dealing with the fire situation in the country.
Quiah called on the National Government to increase the Liberia National Fire Service Budget, create training opportunities for firefighters, and raise awareness of fire prevention across the country. He mentioned that Liberia has more trained firefighters outside the country who want to help but need the opportunity and space created for them to come in and assist.
There have been several Liberian diaspora organizations during the past regime of the CDC who reached out to help rebuild and rebrand the fire and rescue response agencies of Liberia but were left in the cold.
This time around there is a strong possibility of a better relationship of public-private partnerships with the government and these experts as well as philanthropic organizations in the diaspora.
The newly appointed Fire Chief Warsuwah Borvoul Sr., an experienced veteran, and his boss, Cllr. Oswald Tweh, a meticulous lawyer who heads the Justice Ministry could just make this initiative a legacy project of the JNB-led administration, solving a plaque that past administrations couldn’t solve.