Alert NFA First, Before Creating Social Media Content

Prioritise the first oppor­tunity to call the National Fire Authority (NFA) for any fire related incidents.

And members of the public must stop creating social media content to delay the process.

That was the gist of a message from the NFA chief executive of­ficer Puamau Sowane, who was responding to the fire at Coqe­loa, Labasa, on Monday.

Multiple social media content were created by residents and those passing-by, in an effort to increase reactions and com­ments on their platform.

Mr Sowane urged members of the public to to immediately alert NFA via 910 by taking the first initiative to report any sus­picious smoke coming from a house or property.

“We have launched 910 in a big way using all types of media platforms, in the hope people will know and our number is easy to remember,” he said.

The 910 fire emergency number was launched live Fiji-wide by the former Minister for Local Government Premila Kumar on September 8, 2020.

It was to ensure the fast ap­proach of the public to relay message to NFA.

Resident support

Coqeloa resident and a former Energy Fiji Limited electrical meter reader, Mohammed Yunis, supported the NFA advice for timely notification of fire inci­dents in the area.

He said neighbors and resi­dents were not aware of the 910 dial.

“They told me they were not aware and could not call the NFA until a person who knew called,” Yunis said.

Mr Sowane said their response time doesn’t start from the time fire started, but, the time the fire alert call was made to NFA.

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