Twenty officers from Kangbayi Central Prison, including four women, completed practical training in the use of fire extinguishers and professional fire management techniques. This session, organized on September 25 by MONUSCO-Beni's Prison Administration Support Unit (UAAP), is part of risk prevention mechanisms in detention facilities. Its objective was to improve security within the facility and ensure better care for inmates in emergency situations.
A practical session for prison personnel
«We are very pleased with this training, which shows us concretely how to respond to a fire with an extinguisher. This was a pressing need. We will train our absent colleagues so they also know how to use it. But the prison remains at risk: it is urgent to have additional extinguishers given the prison overcrowding », stated Richard Ntege Muranzi, deputy director of Kangbayi Central Prison.
« This initiative aimed to make the prison safer. It is essential that staff know how to react quickly in case of fire to protect human lives and limit damage », emphasized an official from MONUSCO/Beni's Prison Administration Support Unit.
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Prison overcrowding, an increased risk factor
Kangbayi Central Prison is exposed to various dangers, particularly fires, which threaten the lives of inmates and staff, as well as the infrastructure. Originally designed for 250 spaces, it currently houses more than 1,600 inmates, representing an overcrowding rate of over 600%. In such a context, with infrastructure that no longer meets safety standards, MONUSCO had already provided several fire extinguishers to the prison, some of which are now out of service.
To reduce risks in this detention facility, and as part of its mandate to protect civilians and support Congolese state institutions, MONUSCO's Prison Administration Support Unit initiated, with support from United Nations security services (UNDSS) and prison officials, a skills development program in fire management.
Improving safety through new skills
With educational materials, including state-of-the-art fire extinguishers, participants acquired new techniques for dealing with fires. Led by experts from MONUSCO's Fire Prevention and Suppression Unit (Fire Unit), this workshop combined theory and practice and enabled the transmission of essential skills to prison personnel for responding to emergencies.
« The training gave us techniques to better handle the start of a fire. It is useful at work, at home, and in the presence of inmates », testified Jusmine Massika Tawi, secretary at the military registry of Beni Prison.
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