Africa-Press – Namibia. WALVIS BAY acting fire chief Werner Namiseb has urged Namibians to save emergency numbers on their phones, in order to help prevent damage to property and loss of life.
Namiseb said it is becoming worrisome that some community members run to the fire station to report a fire because they do not have the emergency number, despite attempts by emergency service providers to share these details widely.
“A fire can spread very fast. It usually destroys an entire shack in three to five minutes. It is important to memorise these numbers and especially teach them to children. It is important to keep them pasted on fridges and walls in their houses so that they can be remembered.”
He said children should be reminded that toll free numbers do not require air time, which makes it easier for them to make calls in times of emergency.
Young children are especially vulnerable when parents go to work and they are left at home due to them attending schools in shifts because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Namiseb also reminded schools that they can make free appointments with fire stations for programmes that will educate pupils on what to do in cases of a fire.
