LASEMA Launches School Emergency Response Team

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), has launched an emergency response team in public schools across the state.

Tagged School Emergency Response Team (SERT), the initiative, which was launched recently, will comprise school students, who will be responsible for responding to and preventing emergencies and disasters in the state through early warning to the authorities.

According to the General Manager/CEO of LASEMA, Dr. Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, “SERT is a group of school pupils or students assembled for each school and given basic training on modern response to emergencies and disasters which may occur in their respective schools. The students will also be required to render details on accurate and reliable assessment of the risk dynamics in and around their schools.”

Speaking on the functions of SERT, Oke-Osanyintolu said: “This includes careful and periodic examination of the walls of school buildings, potentially dangerous wells or pits and other hazardous situations on school compounds.

“In the event of an outbreak of emergency or disaster, members of these teams will spearhead the response, calming, arranging and mobilising other students and giving basic instructions that would be helpful to the safety of themselves and their colleagues.”

He, however, stated that this should not be misconstrued to mean that the SERT in any school is the beginning and the end of response to disasters, but it just kick-starts such response as help is awaited from higher quarters of stakeholders in the emergency management family, adding, “this is our latest effort towards disaster risk reduction and effective emergency management across the state.”

In pursuit of that mandate, LASEMA had inaugurated Local Emergency Management Committees for all local councils in a phased arrangement. The agency is also at the final stages of inaugurating emergency management committees for all markets and general hospitals in the state.

“The wisdom behind the idea, which is in line with global emergency management practice, is to ensure the safety of school pupils and students, as well as prevent needless loss of lives and property,” he stated.