By: Achiane Adams, CRS-MOI Officer reporting from CRS Tourism Bureau
The Cross River State Tourism Bureau and the Cross River State Fire Service, have agreed to work together in ensuring that incidents of fire outbreaks in the State’s tourism sector is averted.
The decision to work in synergy was taken when the Managing Director, Cross River State Tourism Bureau, Mr. Utsu John Atsu, paid a courtesy call on State Director, Cross River State Fire Service, Mr. Donatus Ugbe, at his office recently in Calabar.
Emphasizing on the importance of such collaboration, Mr. Atsu said one of the major requirements needed from Tourism and Hospitality Service Providers by the Bureau to get licensed, is a fire safety clearance which must be certified by the Stste Fire Service.
“The Bureau as the regulator of activities in the tourism sector, is not taking lightly the issue of Standards & Licensing. We need to ensure that these establishments are capable of handling the situation in case of a fire out break,the Managing Director explained.
“It goes beyond just presenting a fire safety clearance. The Standard & Liciencing Officers will inspect to be sure they have basic fire fighting equipment such as fire extinguishers, sand buckets, a fire muster point and so on.
“One of the basic concerns of the Hospitality Service Provider should be the safety of lives and property of visitors and Staff” he emphasized.
Thanking the Fire Service for the past cooperation between both institutions, the Managing Director appealed to the Fire Service to ensure Hospitality Service Providers meet all its requirements before a fire safety clearance is issued.
Responding, the State Director, Cross River State Fire Service, Mr. Donatus Ugbe, thanked Mr Atsu and his team for the fire safety drive and pledged the Fire Service’s cooperation at all times.
He requested that the Bureau is invited to It’s activities lined up for the year and also participate in the fire trainings that would be organized for the tourism industry.
The Managing Director’s team was made up of the General Manager, Marketing, Mr. Charles Omoregha, Manager, Standards & Licencing, Mr. Emmanuel Ekpe, Manager, Administration, Barr. Eche Takon, Manager, Finance, Mr. Goodwin Akpaja, Manager, Research and Statistical Analysis, Mr. Moses Ogar and the Analysis Auditor, Mrs Helen Ogar. #