Firemen work on unit coordination

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Fire Marshal Aderson Comar yesterday admitted that they sometimes lack coordination with other firefighting volunteers like the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation and the Filipino-Chinese Fire Brigade in responding to fires in Cebu City, but this is something they are working on.

“Ang pagkombati sa sunog mora pud na ug basketball kinahanglang dunay set play kinahanglang duna gyud proper coordination with other fire volunteers” Comar said.

Comar added that they are now discussing with the top officers of different fire brigades for proper coordination when big fires occur in the city.

One of the programs now initiated by Comar is to go around the barangays to discuss the role of barangay officials and tanods during fires.

The Ugnayan sa Barangay Program of the Cebu City Fire department, Comar said, was successful when he was then the provincial fire marshal wherein fire volunteerism and clustering of municipal fire trucks were coordinated.

SFO4 Angelito Abangan, chief operation officer of Cebu City Fire Department, said they are now coordinating with different barangays in Cebu City to discuss with sitio leaders the importance of their cooperation with fire fighters.

“Kun wa pay fire fighters, ang barangay captain automatic maoy ground commander pero inig abot sa firefighters ang ground commander mao na ang fire marshal, igo na sa pag-coordinate ang barangay captain sa sitwasyon ug terrain sa maong dapit kay sila man ang nahibawo. Importante gyud ang proper coordination” Abangan said.

Abangan said the barangay tanods should help them in cordoning the area to prevent bystanders from grabbing the hoses from firefighters. They can also guide the trucks were to go.

“Mas maayo gyud nga sila ang mo-guide kay sila man ang nasayod sa lugar. Basin unya mababoy ato mga fire truck lisod na,” Abangan said.

Abangan also urged barangay fire brigades to also conduct fire truck visibility from 8:00 to 10:00 in the evening.

“Importante man sab ang fire truck visibility kay makabadlong man sab ta anang mga awto nga mag-double parking,” Abangan said.

The Cebu City Fire Department has 170 firefighters, in support the Cebu City government is planning to purchase two additional fire trucks. (FREEMAN)