ILOILO City – Ideally, every fire truck should be manned by 15 firefighters, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). In Western Visayas, however, the bureau has not enough personnel.
On the average, each fire truck in the region has 10 firefighters, according to Fire Senior Superintendent Jerry Candido, BFP Region 6 director.
So for now, what BFP-6 lacks in manpower it tries to make up by responding to fire calls as quickly as possible, said Candido.
“What’s important is madasig ang aton pag-respond,” he stressed.
Throughout the region, the fire bureau currently has 2,335 personnel.
“We are trying to solve the shortage by recruiting new personnel yearly. So someday basi makompleto nga 15 personnel per fire truck, the ideal number,” said Candido.
The yearly recruitment aims to address the shortage made more challenging by the departure of BFP personnel who either retire or die.
In Panay Island which is made up of 93 towns and two cities scattered in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo – plus Iloilo City – BFP-6 has made its personnel and services accessible to people except in five municipalities.
According to Candido, the bureau has yet to establish fire stations and fire trucks in the towns of Sapian (Capiz), Lezo and Madalag (Aklan), Anini-y and Caluya (Antique).
“Sooner, basi ang lima nga towns nga ini mabutangan na naton sang fire stations…We are working hard nga tanan nga banwa may ara kita office kag fire truck, bisan daan lang pero makadalagan,” said the director.
He added: “Sa Caluya, since island ini, I placed two personnel there to help despite nga wala fire station.”
Candido also revealed that some local government units donated fire trucks to BFP-6’s stations in some municipalities.
“We are thankful nga cooperative kag ka-intindi sila nga kun damo aton fire trucks, damo aton magamit in case may sunog. Kag dapat gid naton ini hatagan pagtamod kay grabe ina nga trahedya,” Candido said.
Sometime this month, he added, the BFP national office will send new fire trucks to Western Visayas and these will be distributed to towns that have old trucks.
March is Fire Prevention Month.
“We have month-long activities…and we hope nga wala na sunog nga matabo. Dapat maghalong gid kita,” said Candido.
Recently, four fire incidents struck Iloilo City for two successive days (Feb. 22 and 23) and killed one. The properties hit were all houses.
How could people avoid house fires?
It starts with having the correct electrical wirings, according to Candido.
The most common cause of fire is short circuit, he revealed.
“This is my advice: hire licensed electricians. Indi kamo magkuha sang mga nakahibalo sa electricity based lang sa experience kag panilag. Dapat may gin tun-an gid para may enough knowledge gid sia,” Candido said.
He also stressed the importance of regular maintenance of electricity connections and avoiding the use of substandard wires.
“Kun substandard imo gamiton na wire, ang tendency dasig maguba then mag sag-id, amo na cause sang short circuit,” said Candido.
On Feb. 22, fire struck the districts of La Paz, Arevalo and the City Proper – a week before the Fire Prevention Month of March commenced.
The first fire was in Barangay Burgos-Mabini, La Paz district. The two-storey house of Eugene Rezano, 53, was gutted at around 8:30 a.m.
The fire reportedly started behind a room on the ground floor.
At about the same time, fire also struck Fatima Subdivision in Barangay Sta Cruz, Arevalo. A house was totally burned, including a Toyota Fortuner.
The house was owned by Godofredo Defensor, 67.
The fire may have started from an unattended stove, initial investigation of the BFP showed.
The third fire struck at around 12:30 p.m. in Barangay General Hughes, City Proper. Ten houses house were totally destroyed and six others were partially damaged.
The blaze started in the house of Alfredo Alvarez and quickly spread to neighbors’ houses.
Then on Feb. 23, a 29-year-old woman died of suffocation from the smoke of a fire that struck a two-storey house before dawn at Sta. Rosa Subdivision, Barangay Tagbak, Jaro district
“Dapat gid naton i-check ang electrical connections kag avoid using substandard wires. Ang mga daan nga koryente islan na ina kay usually amo ina ang ginahalinan sang sunog,” said Candido./PN
