FRSC Boosts Emergency Rescue With 170 Ambulances Nationwide

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed more than 170 ambulances across Nigeria to strengthen emergency response and rescue operations following road crashes.

FRSC Corps Public Education Officer, Osondu Ohaeri, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while responding to questions about the agency’s emergency ambulance network and response to road traffic crashes.

Ohaeri said the FRSC has the largest number of ambulances among emergency response agencies in Nigeria, with more than 170 ambulances and 60 designated Zebra points across the country.

He, however, clarified that the figure does not represent the number of ambulances currently operational or serviceable. According to him, the latest fleet-status report from the FRSC’s medical and rescue office would be required to establish the exact number currently available for deployment.

The FRSC said the availability of individual ambulances depends on their location, condition and current assignment, while efforts are ongoing to strengthen rescue deployment and collaboration with other emergency agencies.

Ohaeri said the corps has historically recorded an average emergency response time of about 15 minutes under its documented emergency-response programme, but cautioned that response times vary depending on factors such as crash location, traffic, distance, accessibility and the availability of rescue teams.

The FRSC’s Emergency Ambulance Service Scheme, known as Zebra, was established to provide prompt assistance to road crash victims and is designed around rapid arrival at crash scenes.

The corps said improving emergency response to road crashes remains one of its priorities, with continued efforts to strengthen ambulance deployment and inter-agency coordination nationwide.