BFP: Awareness key to prevent fire

CEBU, Philippines — The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-7 is eyeing to continue the decreasing fire incidence in the region through massive information drive and community involvement.

Fire Senior Superintendent Samuel Tadeo, BFP-7 regional director, revealed on Thursday that fire incidents in Central Visayas had decreased by 26.13 percent from 842 cases in 2016 to 622 cases in 2017.

“Maganda ang resulta ng pagtutulongan natin no’ng 2017 sapagkat napababa natin ang mga sunog by 26 percent. We are hoping that we could further decrease it this year despite the challenges that we met at the start of 2018,” he said in a speech during a brief kickoff program yesterday.

In January alone this year, there were already 76 cases, including the days-long conflagration that hit Metro Ayala department store in Cebu City.

Tadeo added the bureau has no other better alternative to prevent fire than by having a well-informed citizenry that is fully aware of the fire-safety measures that is why the local office aims to reinforce this education advocacy.

The BFP-7 formally opened yesterday the Fire Prevention Month with the theme “Ligtas na Pilipinas ang ating Hangad. Pag-iingat sa sunog ay sa sarili ipatupad” with a series of activities.

Among the activities yesterday were the advocacy walk, simulation exercise, and motorcade to raise awareness among people in promoting a fire-free region.

“This year’s theme actually reflects the ultimate goal of the BFP which is to enable each and every member of the community to become fire-safety conscious individuals especially in their respective homes,” said Tadeo.

The BFP-7 chief said pulling down the number of fire incidence also has to be in cooperation with the communities or households.  BFP-7’s data showed that most of the fires were reported to occur in residential zones.

He said people are capacitated by letting them create their own fire brigades while trainings and workshops are cascaded down to the community levels.

While most of the causes of fire are associated to electrical problems, Tadeo said he plans to tap Visayan Electric Company (VECO) and other electric utilities in the region so that these companies might as well hold seminars tackling on poor electrical connections or overheating.

He said most fire events can be attributed to negligence when parents fail to look after their children playing electric wires or adults leave alone plugged electric fan or iron.

Other preventive measures that the BFP-7 is doing include linking with other entities or offices like the city government’s Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

He said while Cebu City’s population is growing fast, there is also a dire need to put up more fire sub-stations that are strategically positioned within the city. He said having nearer stations would mean faster response since fire trucks from farther offices may get stuck to traffic congestion. (FREEMAN)

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