Fire drill at KICC causes panic, shows unpreparedness by city residents

Firefighters from Nairobi County and Disaster Management and Co-ordination team on Thursday conducted a drill at KICC causing panic among unaware guests and workers who scampered for safety.

It took three minutes before the first person was evacuated from the building after the drill which was carried out on the second floor.

The teams in charge of the drill however raised concerns at how slow the people outside and inside the building responded to the alarm.

Divisional Fire Officer Thomas Koech said the slow response is a clear indication that many city residents are not prepared for emergencies.

" I won't lie to you, the way most of you have responded to the drill was very slow and shows a lot of arrogance. This is how people die just because of failing to follow simple instructions like the way firefighters were shouting at everyone to exit the building," he said.

He added, "I am disappointed in the way people responded to the team. The first person came out of the building after three minutes."

 KICC CEO Nana Gecaga said that the drill was to prepare everyone in case of an emergency since there is an upcoming delegate meeting next week.

County Chief Officer in charge of Disaster Management and Co-ordination Ann Mwenda said she was pleased with how the firefighters responded to the drill.

She urged members of the public to take such exercises seriously and also be more informed about safety measures and how to respond to them.