BFP OBSERVES FIRE PREVENTION MONTH

FIRE PREVENTION --- Bureau of Fire Protection Cotabato City Spokesperson FO2 Hexter John Cadavero discussed the importance of having fire-free and fire-safe communities in the midst of observing fire prevention month. (ANNE ACOSTA - MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

COTABATO CITY --- The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in this city is in full swing with the various activities on the month-long observance of this year’s Fire Prevention Month with the theme, "Buhay at Ari-arian ay Pahalagahan, IbayongPag-iingat sa Sunog ay sa SarilingPamamahaySimulan.”

FO2 Hexter Jan Cadavero, BFP Cotabato City spokesperson, said they conducted last March 01the activity “Walk for a Fire-Free and Fire-Safe Nation” from their station in Tabunaway Boulevard where they revolved along Quezon Avenue before going back to station.

“The activity was participated by BFP personnel, students, Karancho members, Chinese volunteer brigade, and local government agencies,” he said.

Cadavero added they are bound to strengthen the campaign on fire prevention as per Presidential Proclamation No. 115-A declaring the month of March as Fire Prevention Month.

“We are doing this to properly educate the public on how to prevent fires at whatever circumstance,” Cadavero added.

Cadavero said on March 4, 18 and 25, they are set to conduct house to house fire safety awareness campaign at clustered areas in the city.

“We are going house to house to conduct inspection in Barangays Kalanganan 1, 2 Rosary Heights 9, and Bagua 2,” said Cadavero.

Fire Safety Awareness Campaign includes the Ugnayan sa Barangay and visibility image building campaign which must constitute the following: distribution of information materials; lectures on fire prevention; inspection of all establishments; familiarization of their Area of responsibility (AOR); testing of fire hydrants; fire disaster emergency planning; fire drill; monitoring of all hazard operations; and identification of fire-prone areas and conduct of fire pre-planning to areas identified.

House to house fire safety information campaign and fire safety awareness/ education shall be conducted also during the inspection to include the following topics: safety measures of the home; fire escape plan; EDITH, Exit Drill in the Home and how to use the fire extinguisher (PASS).

Cadavero said there will also be Fire Truck Visibility, wherein their six (6) serviceable fire trucks shall be utilized.

Starting March 1 until March 31, 2017, through its built-in public address system, the BFP personnel shall broadcast fire safety reminders to the community. It shall be done every day. Placement to heightened alert status and intensive monitoring of fire-prone areas, starting March 1-31, 2017, all BFP stations and personnel shall be placed on heightened alert status; a no leave policy shall be applied to all personnel.

Further, it was learned that the city fire marshall shall identify prone areas within AOR based on the frequency of occurrence of fire and the type of materials the structures is made. Those identified areas shall be subjected to constant monitoring, ocular inspections and fire safety inspection campaign.

Following is the list of fire prone areas within Cotabato City: Tukananes (Poblacion VII), PurokBulliao (Mother Poblacion), PurokMalipayon (Poblacion 4), PurokDapdap (Rosary Heights 2), Surrounding Mega Market (Mother Poblacion), Interior Mabini (Bagua 3), Manday Area (Bagua 3), Lugay-Lugay (Bagua 1), PC Hill (Rosary Heights 1), Macapagal Subdivision (Rosary Heights Mother), EsterosArea (Tamontaka Mother), Malagapas (Rosary Heights 10), Arong Village (Rosary Heights 4), Back of MC Square &Canizares School (Rosary Heights 10), Campo Muslim (Mother Barangay Bagua), and Inner Guittierez (Rosary Heights 9).

Together with these, there are another set of activities on the pipeline. “Takbo Laban saSunog” shall be held together with refresher training course to all volunteer fire brigades and Barangay Disaster Control Brigade within the AOR.

SInsp Nestor D. Bade, Acting City Fire Marshall, said the Culminating Ceremony to mark the end of the month-long activity is set on March 31 and will be held at the Peoples Palace in Cotabato City.

       

“The commitment of the agency to save lives and properties is the topmost concern of the Bureau of Fire Protection,” said Bade.(GILMHAR A. LAO & ANNE B. ACOSTA - MINDANAO EXPOSE’)