{"id":29847,"date":"2026-05-14T20:38:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/?p=29847"},"modified":"2026-05-14T20:38:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:38:25","slug":"siaya-strengthens-disaster-preparedness-through-partnership-with-africa-fire-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/siaya-strengthens-disaster-preparedness-through-partnership-with-africa-fire-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Siaya Strengthens Disaster Preparedness Through Partnership with Africa Fire Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Mariam Nyanguka<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have you ever been burnt by hot water, fire, or any hot substance and wondered what the first thing to do is?<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/em><\/strong> Immediately run cool or lukewarm water over the burnt area for about 10 minutes to reduce heat damage and help prevent further destruction of body tissues.<\/p>\n

Siaya County has stepped up efforts to improve disaster preparedness and emergency response through an intensive fire safety and disaster management training aimed at equipping officers with life-saving skills. The training brought together officials from the Department of Governance, Administration and ICT, led by Ms. Diana Abuto, who chaired the session in the absence of the Head of the Disaster Management Unit, and trainers from Africa Fire Mission. The exercise focused on fire prevention, emergency response, public safety awareness, and practical handling of fire incidents.<\/p>\n

Speaking during the session, the trainers warned that increasing fire outbreaks in homes, institutions, and business premises continue to threaten lives and property across the county. They noted that strengthening public awareness and emergency preparedness remains key to reducing fire-related accidents.<\/p>\n

\"\"Mr. Errol Sianga the facilitator from Africa Fire Mission, attributed most fire incidents to faulty electrical connections, gas leakages, overloaded sockets, and improper handling of flammable substances. He urged residents to adopt safer practices both at home and in workplaces to minimize fire risks.<\/p>\n

Participants were also trained on emergency first aid for burn victims. Samuel advised that cold running water should immediately be applied to burnt areas for at least 10 minutes to reduce heat damage and prevent deeper destruction of body tissues. He further encouraged the use of clean materials to cover wounds in order to prevent infections.
\nThe facilitator further explained the science of fire, noting that fire results from a chemical reaction involving heat, oxygen, and fuel. Trainers explained various fire extinguishing methods, including cooling, smothering, removal of fuel sources, and the proper use of fire extinguishers.<\/p>\n

With different classifications of fire and suitable extinguishing methods outlined during the exercise, participants learned that ordinary combustible materials such as paper, wood, plastics, and clothes can be extinguished using water or dry powder. Fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol and diesel require foam or sand, while gas fires are best handled using carbon dioxide or dry powder extinguishers.<\/p>\n

The officers also educated participants on safe evacuation procedures during fire outbreaks. Residents are always advised to remain calm, avoid panic, crawl beneath smoke-filled areas, avoid elevators, and use designated emergency exits. They were also encouraged to gather at assembly points after evacuation to ensure all occupants are accounted for.<\/p>\n

Special emphasis was placed on electrical fires, with trainers warning against the use of water on live electrical connections. Participants were advised to first switch off power sources before attempting to extinguish electrical fires to avoid electrocution.<\/p>\n

The session included practical demonstrations where participants were shown how to operate fire extinguishers, use fire blankets, and safely respond to different emergency situations. County officials said the initiative is expected to significantly strengthen emergency preparedness and improve the county\u2019s capacity to respond to disasters. The training is also expected to reduce loss of life, minimize destruction of property, and promote public awareness of fire prevention and safety measures across the county.<\/p>\n

The partnership with Africa Fire Mission is expected to further enhance emergency response systems and build a safer and more resilient county.<\/p>\n

Additional reporting by:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Geophrey Kelvin<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Mariam Nyanguka Have you ever been burnt by hot water, fire, or any hot substance and wondered what the first thing to do is? Solution: Immediately run cool or lukewarm water over the burnt area for about 10 minutes to reduce heat damage and help prevent further destruction of body tissues. Siaya County has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":29849,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}