City, BFP to organize barangay firefighting task force
BALON DAGUPAN NEWS
THE city government and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will join hands organizing and activating the Barangay Task Force against Destructive Fire or Project BTF to improve the firefighting capability of the city especially in the island barangays.
Mayor Belen T. Fernandez approved on May 20 the creation and immediate implementation of the program consistent with BFP-Dagupan as the lead agency under Inspector Romie J. Tungpalan, acting city fire marshal.
RA 9514 mandates the creation of Barangay volunteer fire brigade nationwide as first responder during fire and other related emergencies and disasters; while RA 10121 mandates the creation of emergency response units, search and rescue units and medical first responders in every cities, municipalities, barangays and communities nationwide.
Tungpalan said the firefighting capability of the city’s fire service from the BFP-Dagupan City Fire Station, PANDA and CSI Volunteer Groups and the city’s City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in terms of fire engines, equipment and personnel are still not enough to meet the basic requisites of the city based on the ideal fire truck and population ratio.
The BFP will coordinate with the Association of Barangay Captains to establish the organizational structure, objectives and mission of the brigade before the presentation, and training of the volunteers.
“We will cluster the barangays according to their proximity or remoteness and then we will schedule a separate training for competency as required under the New Comprehensive Fire Code of the Philippines,” said Tungpalan.
Under the modular program of instruction, the training of volunteers for five days will cover the skills of the participants in fire fighting operations, basic rescue operation, ropemanship, medical first responder course and water safety, search and rescue.
“It has been suggested that each barangay brigade be equipped with emergency medical kits and equipment; rescue tools such as ropes, carabineers, pulleys and others; fire pumps, hoses and nozzles for island barangays; fire extinguishers; water safety and rescue equipment; and other relevant equipment,” said Tungpalan. (CIO/Joseph C. Bacani)
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