By Gail Momblan/PNA
ILOILO CITY — The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Western Visayas had intensified its information dissemination that fire prevention is not only a one month effort.
Around 500 Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel, fire volunteers, backed by 40 fire trucks took part in a motorcade on Friday to kick off the observance of the Fire Prevention Month.
Supt. Crosbee Gumowang, assistant regional director for operations of BFP-6, said the motorcade was intended to raise awareness on the continuous practice of fire prevention.
“The motorcade is just a signal for the start but we would like to inform the public that fire prevention must be a year-round concern,” he said in a phone interview on Friday.
The BFP will therefore continue to distribute pamphlets, hand-outs, posters, and other information-education materials containing fire safety tips to the public and conduct fire drills to assure communities’ fire safety.
Also part of the fire prevention activities are the poster-making contest, photo contest, essay writing contest, among others, that will be participated in by high school and elementary students at Robinson’s Place Pavia on March 6.
With regards to the bureau’s preparedness in responding to fire incidents, Gumowang assured that BFP personnel are equipped with the skills and are provided with sufficient personal protective equipment.
The region had around 200 fire trucks but Gumowang said 17 municipalities are still without fire stations and fire trucks.
These are the municipalities of Batan, Banga, Lezo, Madalag, Makato, Malinao, and Nabas in Aklan; Pulupandan and Isabela in Negros Occidental; Anini-y, Barbaza, Caluya, Hamtic, and Tibiao in Antique; Panay and Sapian in Capiz; and San Dionisio in Iloilo province.
Municipalities without fire trucks operate under a “clustering system”, wherein they are grouped with municipalities that have their own fire trucks and fire stations.
“For instance, Hamtic is clustered with San Jose in Antique, which means that when a fire incident transpire at Hamtic town, the San Jose fire station will immediately respond,” he said.
