Plans are underway in Tanzania to use riot control water cannon trucks for firefighting purposes to beef up services of the Fire and Rescue Force that has of late been facing a shortage of fire tenders.
The Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Hamad Masauni, said in the National Assembly here that the police; fire and rescue force are holding discussion to allow large police trucks to be used in firefighting.
He was seeking guidance from the National Assembly's Chairman, Mr Musa Azzan, who chaired the morning session yesterday, regarding remarks by Ms Susan Lyimo (Special Seats - Chadema), that the government had bought 777 water cannon trucks for the police force.
Mr Masauni pointed out that the number of trucks ordered by the government was not 777, thus demanding the Chair's guidance on such false statement.
In response, Mr Zungu said he would direct the MP to justify his claims or else she would be demanded to retract the statement.
The lawmaker had made the remarks while contributing to the budget estimates of the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, the Elderly and children for the 2016/2017 financial year. She noted that the funds used to buy the armoured trucks were enough to buy ambulances for every ward in the country.
However, the deputy minister said the government had bought 32 armoured trucks only for the riot police. Mr Masauni said the trucks had proved useful in quelling riots during last year's general election, adding that for the time being, discussions were continuing on how they could also be used to fight fires.
The deputy minister later told the 'Daily News' here that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Ernest Mangu and the newly-appointed Fire and Rescue Force Commissioner General, Mr Thobias Andengenye, were meeting to chart out the best way of using police trucks in fire extinguishing operations.
"The most important thing is their ability to work in firefighting," he said.
The Fire and Rescue Force in Tanzania has often been blamed for incapacity to deliver, for which it has often pointed to inadequate funds and shortage of equipment.
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