“We are not Superman!”
National Fire Authority CEO Puamau Sowane made this comment while responding to public complaints about delayed fire responses.
Speaking after his inspection of the Labasa Fire Station, Mr Sowane acknowledged the common criticism but stressed the challenges his team faces in emergency situations.
“When we receive a call then we respond,” he said.
While the authority’s response time has improved from 10 minutes to 5 minutes, Mr Sowane noted that factors such as road congestion can sometimes cause delays.
He assured the public of their dedication.
“If we arrive and are able to save part of the property, that’s great, but if we are unable to save it, our focus will shift towards protecting the community.
“We will work to contain the fire within the incident area to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the community. That is our role.”
He urged the public to remain vigilant and to call 910 at the first sign of a fire.
