About 700 residents of Lagos
State across the 57 local government and local council development areas
have been seriously trained in disaster and emergency management.

It was a two-day training, which held at the
Lagos State Emergency Management Agency Relief Camp in Igando, it was to
build the capacity of residents to handle disasters before the arrival
of emergency agencies.

He explained that the volunteers, who applied through the Internet, were expected to improve their responses to disasters.

He said, “The trainees are about 700
people and are primarily those who responded to the call for volunteers
when we put up the publicity on the Internet. They didn’t go through any
selection process.

“The whole idea is to bring emergency
management to the communities because they bear the brunt of emergencies
and disasters. It is only wise, therefore, that a solid foundation be
laid for emergency and disaster management at the community level.”

The state Commissioner for Special
Duties and Inter-governmental Relations,  Mr. Seye Oladejo, said there
had been improvements in the management of disasters and emergencies in
the state due to the procurement of equipment the Governor Akinwunmi
Ambode-led administration.

Aside LASEMA officials, men of the
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Lagos State Fire Service,
the National Emergency Management Agency, and other stakeholders,
including religious organisations, participated in the training.

The volunteers were given basic protective equipment such as safety boots, helmets and safety goggles.