Fires in Kinshasa: The challenges of the city’s fire-fighting system
Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is regularly hit by serious fires which devastate markets and buildings and endanger the lives and property of residents. Despite the existence of a fire brigade, the system in place has numerous shortcomings which compromise its effectiveness.
A first problem concerns the lack of adequate equipment. Kinshasa’s fire services are under-equipped in terms of fire-fighting vehicles, work equipment such as protective suits and boots, fire hydrants, metal ladders and ropes. This lack of suitable equipment limits their ability to intervene quickly and effectively at disaster sites.
In addition to these material shortcomings, fire service personnel are also faced with motivation problems. Salary delays are commonplace, leading to a lack of motivation and commitment from firefighters. This situation adds to their feeling of helplessness in the face of fires, reinforcing the idea of a faulty fire-fighting system.
Lack of mobility is also a major obstacle for the Kinshasa fire brigade. Vehicles are not able to get to disaster sites quickly, which delays their response and allows fires to grow. Additionally, tanker trucks have limited water capacity, which quickly renders them useless when faced with large fires.
Another challenge concerns the absence of fire hydrants in many sites located outside the commune of Gombe, where the fire brigade is based. Even in Gombe, some fire hydrants are blocked or disconnected from the water supply, further compromising firefighting efforts.
The consequences of these shortcomings are dramatic for the inhabitants of Kinshasa. In the event of a fire, they are often left to their own devices, trying to save what they can with limited resources. Firefighters, for their part, often find themselves powerless in the face of the speed and scale of fires, despite their efforts.
It is crucial to put in place a solid fire policy in Kinshasa to prevent and fight fires effectively. This involves investing in modern equipment, improving the working conditions and remuneration of fire service personnel, strengthening the mobility and rapid intervention capacity of the fire brigade, and guaranteeing maintenance and the availability of fire hydrants throughout the city.
In conclusion, the current situation of the fire-fighting system in Kinshasa is worrying.. Gaps in terms of equipment, mobility and human resources compromise the ability of firefighters to effectively deal with fires and endanger the safety of residents. Urgent measures must be taken to remedy these problems and ensure the protection of property and lives in Kinshasa.