BFP holds first fire drill in residential area

MANILA, Philippines - For the first time, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) yesterday held a fire drill in a depressed community in Valenzuela City to educate informal dwellers of proper action during fire incidents.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo noted that most fire incidents occur in residential areas.

Robredo ordered other fire marshals to emulate the program of Valenzuela City fire marshal Superintendent Mel Jose Lagan.

BFP officer-in-charge Chief Superintendent Samuel Perez said that fire drills are usually conducted in building establishments and schools.

Lagan said they decided to hold a fire drill in Barangay Paso de Blas, Valenzuela City to stir public awareness on fire prevention.

Statistics from the BFP-National Capital Region showed that from Jan. 1 to Feb. 29, a total of 213 fires occurred in residential areas in Metro Manila.

“We want to educate residents in poor communities, whose adjoining houses are usually made of materials that easily catch fire such as plywood, old wood and cardboard, on what to do in case of fire and how to prevent fire incidents,” Lagan said.

Prior to the drill, Lagan designated the incident commander, Bantay Sunog responders, evacuation route guides, evacuation area commander and posts in-charge, alarm and communication in-charge, first aiders and rescuers from among the community leaders and other concerned groups.

Valenzuela City Bantay-Sunog volunteer groups have been trained in fire fighting by the local BFP. It now has 1,288 members and 87 area leaders in 21 barangays in the city.

Others who took part in the fire drill were BFP personnel, Bantay-Sunog volunteers, community leaders, barangay officials, Red Cross volunteers and other concerned groups. 

“We do not want a repeat of the Malanday fire incident. This is why we are preparing the Bantay Sunog volunteers and the whole community so that they will be better prepared and equipped in case a similar fire occurs in the future,” Lagan said.

In 2009, around 200 families were left homeless when a fire gutted rows of houses in Malanday. 

Meanwhile, An hour-long fire struck a squatter’s area in Quezon City, leaving more than 12 families homeless early yesterday morning.

An unidentified woman died after suffering a heart attack at the height of the blaze.

Fire Officer 2 Wilson Bautista of the Quezon City fire department said some P100,000 worth of property went up in smoke.

Bautista said the fire broke out at 2:55 a.m. at the two-story house of Analiza Mata in Barangay E. Rodriguez.

Firefighters took an hour to put out the fire.

Arson investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Michael Punongbayan