63% of fire cases in Siquijor due to open flames, anattended lighted gas, says BFP

By Rizalie Anding Calibo

Siquijor Province, March 17 (PIA)-- Sixty three percent or seven of ten fire cases in Siquijor province originated from open flames/lighted gas/unattended lighted candle, says Provincial Fire Marshall Nepumoceno Gangoy of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) here.

Gangoy said Siquijor province has registered a total of 11 fire cases in 2009 and 2010 which reached an estimated damage of P12,800 and P877,000, respectively.   

With this data, Gangoy said fire prevention knowledge and their application will lower the cases of fire on the island as he stressed that people should increase their awareness and take seriously the precautionary measures they learned to avoid accidents.

He said activities lined up for the fire month celebration is geared towards  increasing the people’s awareness and advised that the preventive measures they know and apply must not only be confined in the vicinity of their homes but also share them to their neighbors.

He also reminds that precautionary measures should be applied the whole year around and must not end as the celebration culminates.

Likewise, Municipal Fire Marshall of Siquijor town, Mario Pactol advised the public to always switch off the appliances after using, put off materials that can trigger fire and keep fire materials away from the reach of children.

The Provincial BFP  also reported to have undertaken the following activities last year:

Inspection of 1,216 establishments, corrected violation of 18 establishments, reviewed 83 building plans, processed 1,297 business permits, issued 18 notices of deficiency, issued 1,340 FSIC, conducted 40 fire drills and trained 216 fire brigades.

Other activities include hanging of streamers, conduct of earthquake and fire drills, inspection of lodging houses, school buildings and commercial establishments and government offices; orientation of fire brigade volunteers of the different barangays provincewide, municipal fire Olympics, inter-barangay first aid contests, and fire olympics simulation on fire and earthquake occurrence.

The BFP rescue team headed by the Municipal Fire Marshall of Siquijor SFO3 Mario D. Pactol had also managed a successful rescue operation to pull out six persons that were trapped inside Cantabon cave.

Establishment of  a sub-fire station at the Provincial Capitol which houses the biggest fire truck in the province was also made last  year.

For this year’s celebration, the Provincial BFP kicked off the Fire Prevention Month with a simultaneous in the three fires stations of the island. (RACalibo PIA-7/Siquijor)

Siquijor MDRRMC lines up disaster preparedness activities

Siquijor Province, March 17 (PIA) -- In line with the observance of fire prevention month and as its  continuing preparation for the disaster month in July the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (MDRRMC) of Siqujor town has lined up disaster preparedness activities, says MDRRMC coordinator Coordinator, Gilbert Briones here.

These, Briones said, will be done with strong support from the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) and the Bureau of Fire  Protection (BFP).

Among the activities are water search and rescue training, training on fire fighting and suppression for the fire volunteers of the 42 barangays, earthquake drills on selected establishments within the town and reorientation of the Siquijor Organization of First Aiders (SOFIA) , among others.

 Meanwhile, Briones advises the public to be always on guard and watchful for any forms of calamities adding that preparedness saves life. (PIA-Siquijor/from the report of Inacher A. Abatayo/ST)