BFP Baguio leads Fire Prevention Month Celebration

First photo: Campaign poster for this year's Fire Prevention Month Celebration seen outside the Baguio City Fire Station

In line with the celebration of Fire Prevention Month, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Baguio will conduct various activities throughout March to raise fire safety awareness to the public.

BFP Baguio commenced the celebration with a kickoff motorcade that toured from Session Road to Bonifacio Tourist Station last Sunday, March 1.

This year’s Fire Prevention Month Celebration theme “Matuto Ka, Sunog Iwasan na!” emphasizes the importance of fire safety awareness among the public.

According to SF04 Bartolome Cacamo, chief of operations of the Baguio City Fire Station (BCFS), their office, in partnership with their substations in Irisan, Quirino, and Aurora Hill, will spearhead activities such as drills and information dissemination campaigns throughout the month.

“May mga drills kami sa mga malalaking establishments. Sa mga schools. Magconduct kami ng Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan sa mga barangay dito sa Baguio at sa mga substations namin,” Cacamo said in an interview.

(We will have drills in big establishments. In schools. We will conduct the Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan in barangays in Baguio and in our substations.)

They will also create Community Fire Auxiliary Groups in barangays that are envisioned to be the first responders in times of emergency.

“Magcreacreate kami ng Community Fire Auxiliary Group. Dito lelecturan namin sila at itratrain namin ng firefighting at first aid. Para sila yung first responders kung may emergency,” the officer added.

(We will create Community Fire Auxiliary Groups. We will give them lectures and train them in firefighting and first aid. So that they will be the first responders if there is an emergency.)

The team will also conduct inspections of buildings in line with the Fire Code of the Philippines.

“Magkakaroon tayo ng inspection of buildings. I-implement namin yung RA 9514. Continuous ang implementation natin ng Fire Code of the Philippines,” Cacamo added.

(We will conduct Inspection of buildings. We will implement Republic Act 9514. We will continuously implement the Fire Code of the Philippines.)

BFP Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) also strengthens their information dissemination campaign through distribution of flyers and radio shows.

Tips from the experts

FO3 Vill Agsalog, 7 Operations Clerk of BCFS, enumerated simple ways to prevent fire accidents.

He noted that the use of octopus connection is one of the main causes of fire and the public should refrain from doing it.

“Iwasan ang overloading of devices. Halimbawa, yung octopus connection, ganon.  Halibawa may eleven kayong appliances, tapos sinaksak niyo lang sa isang [extension wire], magkakaroon ng overloading, tapos magkakaroon ng short circuit. Tapos magiging cause ng sunog. Yun ang isa sa number one causes ng fire,” Agsalog explained in an interview.

(Avoid overloading of devices. For example, the octopus connection. For example, if you have eleven appliances and you connect it to one [extension wire], there will be overloading, then it will cause a short circuit. This will cause fire. That’s the number one cause of fire.)

Agsalog also reminds the parents to keep children away from appliances such as gas stoves.

“Tapos ‘yung mga bata, di dapat naglalaro ng gas stove. ‘Yung mga gas stoves, ilagay natin sa matataas na lugar. Iiwas natin sa mga bata,” Agsalog added.

(The children should not play with gas stoves. The gas stoves should be placed in high places. Let’s prevent children from reaching them.)

He also advised the safe use of candles during brownouts and the checking of kitchen appliances.

“Pag nagkaroon ng brownout, ilagay ang kandila sa lugar na hindi basta basta natutumba. Tapos sa kitchen naman, laging icheck ‘yung hose sa Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) [tanks]. Kasi kadalasan, nagkakaroon ng leak. Kaya dapat chinecheck from time to time. Siguro every three months or kung pwede weekly i-check natin. Kasi sa katagalan non, tumitigas ‘yung hose non,” the officer said.

(If there is a brownout, place candles in places where it won’t easily fall. In kitchens, always check the hose of LPG tanks. Because usually, leaking happens. That’s why it’s important to check from time to time. Check it every three months or, if possible, weekly. Because the hose hardens through time.)

SF02 Alex Gerard Aquitania also reminds the public to practice safer use of appliances.

“When you sleep in your house, switch off your appliances. And when leaving your house, switch off your appliances. Make it a practice,” Aquitania added.

March as Fire Prevention Month

The Fire Prevention Month has been celebrated since 1966 through the Presidential Decree N. 115-A signed by the late president Ferdinand Marcos. This makes this year’s celebration as the 54th.

Cacamo explained why the month of March was chosen for the celebration.

“Noon kasi, based sa survey, karamihan ng mga sunog ay nagaganap ngayon summer. Especially this month of March, mainit ang panahon. Kaya madaling sumiklab ang sunog. Mas marami pag February, March, at April,” Cacamo explained.

(Before, based on surveys, most of the fire incidents happen this summer. Especially this month of March, the weather is hot. That’s why fire easily breaks out. There are more [fire incidents] during February, March, and April.)

Latest data in Baguio City.

Based on the latest statistics, from January to February this year, there were 13 structural fire, 3 garbage fire, 7 grass fire, and 4 forest fire that BFP Baguio responded to.

According to Cacamo, during summer, they respond mostly to grass fire cases.

By Valerie Nuval