Fire Down: Fire Prevention Month in the Philippines
I. Introduction
March marks Fire Prevention month of the Philippines under the Presidential Proclamation No. 115-A.
It is the month when educational caravans are being held nationwide (on local level) to reduce the incidents of fire in the Philippines.
The national agency that is tasked to take drastic measures such as creation and implementation of policies nationwide is the Bureau of Fire Protection [BFP]. It is a line bureau of the Philippine National Police [PNP]. BFP works together with the Department of Interior and Local Government [DILG] and different local government units [LGUs].
BFP is mandated to:
".. commit to prevent and suppress destructive fires, investigate its causes, enforce fire code, and other related laws, and respond to man-made and natural disasters and other emergencies".
This is stipulated on their mission.
It is noteworthy that the Fire Officers from BFP are the first responders of fire incidents and even on other emergency situations such as natural calamities. These men help ensure the safety of the people and of properties.
II. Why are Fire Incidents a National Security Issue?
According to BFP's online database , its vision is to have *a modern fire service fully capable of ensuring a fire-safe nation by 2034.*
The spectrum of national security is quite broad. We cannot just limit national security just on terrorism.
**Fire prevention** is a national security issue as its casualties caused during fire incidents destroy not just properties but even lives. Although number of casualties may vary though on the scope of fire incident, location, and preparedness of the people.
If there is no preparedness and response to fire incidents, it would be a burden of the LGUs to safeguard the fire victims.
In case the number of buildings that were destroyed is high, the LGU needed to ensure a public venue for the victims to stay for the meantime. When a number of people are housed in a public area (covered courts), the incidence of crime rate (rape, assault, theft , and etc.) is high.
Government infrastructures should also and always be safe-guarded as it holds not just equipment but an array of important documents (either bidding, titles, records, and a lot more).
III. Prevention is ALWAYS better than cure.
I for one, was able to experience a lecture about Fire Prevention during when I took graduate studies. Our speaker was from our region. It was actually a series of lecture for our National Security class.
At first I thought it was pretty boring and useless, but then upon recalling, I realized how essential it is. It is noteworthy to have knowledge on the Building Code as well as how to respond in times of fire incidents.
Life Experience
In life, irony happens a lot. My brother woke me up and he was saying things while pointing his hands outside. I was disoriented so I went out and noticed lot of people near our residence. There were a lot of fire trucks as well.
It took few minutes to realize that a house which is block away from us was already burning. There were even reporters giving inquiry to BFP officers. The owner of the house was crying while the rest of us remained shock of the horrible sight.
I spent an hour asking around. Tita Joy (the owner) said that they were not sleeping at their residence but instead at their unit at Smart Condotel which is located nearby Xavier Heights. She admitted that there were no plugged wires. They speculated that there were old wirings that might have been eaten by rats.
It was the neighbor who called the authorities and reported the incident. According to her, *I was really shaking while dialling. I could not speak properly*. Meanwhile, some neighbors went to the residence and tried to put down the fire which was said to have started in the kitchen, but it was too late. Instead, they opted too rescue the pets at home. They took the small puppy but the men took the pitbull Athena. They were glad that the dog cooperated although it was evident that the dog was traumatized.
The first to respond were the fire brigade from Pueblo, and then the rest came: BFP, Gaisano Fire Volunteers, CEPALCO. But unfortunately, the house was down as soon as the fire went down.
The neighboring houses were in a hurry to take their appliances outside their house. It took an hour before the fire went down since the house is made of light materials.
We were all relieved though that there were no casualties.
... just light materials burnt.
IV. What to do in times of fire incident?
This is a public advisory from Bureau of Fire Protection.
A. Alert others and find your way out. Sometimes when there are natural or man-made calamities, we tend to rattle or sometimes we black out. It is important to compose yourself first because you might harm yourself or others as well.
B. Evacuate immediately. Assist those who are in need especially PWDs, pregnant women, and elderly**. It is important to ensure the safety of everyone.
C. Stay low. Crawl through the smoke. As you head to exit, avoid being suffocated by crawling or staying low. If the fire is extreme, it is important to cover yourself with wet towel.
D. Use the emergency exit. If you are in public places such as the all, always find the emergency exit. In cinemas, you can easily locate it because there is an emergency exit sign.
E. Use the fire extinguisher in putting out small fires. In accordance to Building Code, establishments are required to have fire extinguishers. It is situated in an area where it is very visible. Study in how to use it properly.
F. Some people, in times of calamities ensure their material possessions above all and then end up being trapped inside the building or room. Leave. Do not go back, your life is precious more than anything else.
Ensure your life and your possessions with these tips:
- When cooking, make sure that you have your attention to it. Do not leave it behind. Check the stove before leaving.
- When your food is burning, do not use water on putting it down but instead use wet clothing or cover it.
In regard with your electrical connections, take note of the following:
- The most common reason for fire is overloading, not in good condition wires, receptacles, overheated wires and plugs, dirt inside the plugs, and even oil residue inside it.
- When using candle sticks, never put it on top of a light material. Blow off your candles after use.
- If you are using LPG, make sure you turn it off after using. Always check the hose whether it is in good condition.
- In case you LPG tank is on fire, cover it with a wet cloth or towel on the portion where it is burning. Turn off the regulator then.
To know more about the iniativies of the BFP, you can check on their press releases here.
If you wanted to share your insights or add input on this article, feel free to comment below. We would appreciate to know measures to take to ensure the safety of our lives and properties. Thanks!
It could be the universal 220v is the reason why it causes fire, in the other country they have specific voltage to any devices, i might be wrong.
Oh I see. I will ask in few days on what is the cause of the fire. This made me think on checking the specific voltage to devices before charging it. Thanks for this dude!
This post has received gratitude of 2.06% from @appreciator courtesy of @gailbelga!