Paul Patrick Laude / PHOTO by Jed Aries Yu
Patrick Laude the most handsome?
On a hot Thursday afternoon, 20 minutes ahead of schedule, he pulls over the car at the corner on Kaohsiung Road.
He takes the flight of stairs to our editorial office in his prescribed uniform— a thick woven overall suit printed with Lego-shaped geometric patterns in a tri-color palette of orange—that he pairs with combat boots. Like tattoos of our forefathers, the patches on his garments are not a bauble of vanity.
An emblem of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is embedded on his right arm and another one, the Special Rescue Unit (SRU) seal, on the opposite side.
Two identical anahaw leaf appliqué on the covered placket notes his rank: Senior Inspector.
The handshake is firm, but he smiles shyly.
After he has smitten the netizens with his boyish charm on a viral interview after dousing the blaze at a retail store last weekend, things are still the same for him.
“Ganahan na gani ko nga mahuman ning tanan uy. Di gyud ko angayan,” the 26-year-old mocks himself for having been regarded
as the most handsome firefighter in Cebu according to the stream of comments published online.
It is business as usual. In fact, he travels up north to function as the head of Bogo City Fire Station in the north, reports to the central command in Cebu City twice a week, and resides in Carcar City in the south.
The platform—which hosts the gamut of dramatic emotions from grief to joy—has also singled out and collected the wriest of proposals: Will you marry me?
Paul Patrick has spent the last eight years devoting his life to public service.
After graduating at the High School Department of University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu, he flew to Silang,
Cavite to undergo a four-year training at the Philippine National Police Academy.
“What I am thankful for is the attention given to firefighters. Sa akong tan-aw lang, ubos kaayo ang pagtan-aw sa mga tawo namo,” he says, narrating his most unforgettable operations where their three-fold role has manifested: hero, friend and psychologist.
But no fire, no work?
What you need now, perhaps, is a refresher course on prevention tips at home. And eyes here, please, because you will also learn from us about how the stations answer alarms tethered to the running cards—second alarm, task force alpha, task force bravo.
Whatever.
Our friends dear, prior to the conversation, have already persuaded us to substantiate the story further more
by posting the right questions.
Okay, now, Senior Inspector Paul Patrick Laude …
Are you single?
It should be asked. Are you single?
I am happily married since 2014 with one son. My wife is from Davao, also a firefighter and SRU assigned in San Fernando (Cebu).
You’ve gone viral by the number of admirers online. How does it feel?
Mga fans to sila sa BFP (laughs). Na-appreciate na nila karon ang mga gipangbuhat sa kabomberohan.
Katong mga issues nga mangawat nga bombero, wala na na ron kayang requirement sa bombero karon kay bachelor’s degree na with eligibility. We can’t risk our names and studies.
But really, we want to know how your wife reacted to your admirers. Did it become a problem?
My wife knows me too well, and she knows I am a family man.
Sa first night, nagkinatawanay ra mi sa balay. Di gyud malikayan nga makabantay gyud ko, pero akong ipakita niya nga siya ra gyud.
Magtinarong gyud ta kay mao ra na ang kalipay natong tanan.
Do you go out on a date with her?
Ah, yes. Mao na ilang giingon nga kailangan gyud mobawi sa pamilya. Kinahanglan, ug mouli ko, I fetch her from her station. I’ll wait until she’s off and then sa balay.
Pero ug kahibaw siya nga kapoy kay ko, parehas atong ni-aging sunog, siya pud ang ni-adto nako, moapas siya diri.
How often?
Considering that we have a baby, ug tungod pud sa ka-busy, every time magkuyog mi, mao na gyud na among date. Sa balay lang … mag coffee, mag wine.
My wife also plays the piano and I play the saxophone.
Sometimes, we go to the beach, magfishing, or bukid, mananom.
How did you meet her?
I was a cadete in Cavite, and I was a volleyball player.
Nagdula mi ato kay DILG Meet man to, volleyball player pud siya and she was already in service.
Didto ra mi nagkita, gi-pikchuran lang mi sa among mga kauban.
That was the end of it.
After I graduated, wala damha, na punta ko sa National Headquarters, unya nagkakita na pud mi sa elevator — mura mi og nagtotokanay.
I started the conversation and that was the beginning of it.
Let’s talk about the recent fire last weekend.
Actually, I came in late because I had to travel from Bogo.
But my team, SRU, sila gyud to ang nikombati sa sulod. Gamay pa ang kayo ato, pero tungod sad sa aso — grabe pud kalisud ang ventilation, katong wala pa gipang-buslot ang bong-bong — so grabe ka-init ug kakapoy ilang na sinati.
Katong nanulod nami, mao na to ang tawag nato nga overhauling. Mahitabo ang overhauling kung na under control na, pa-human na ang operation. Naa pay mga baga, pero amo nang patyon.
Ug i-make sure nga dili na mukayo pa ug usab. Usa sa among problema ngadto kay ang kangit-ngit. Syempre wala na may mga emergency lights but we have flashlights.
Sunod ang ka-init, kung hikapon nimo ang bong-bong init pa gyud kaayo.
Sunod, naa pa ang mga estante ngadto nga nangasunog — mga plastics — so ang baho usa pud na.
What were the challenges?
One of the reasons is the ventilation.
The place was very confined. At the same time, ang mga gamit didto sa sulod, dali ra kaayo mokaon ug kayo: pareho anang mga tela, mga jeans, didto sa duwa-anan.
These were the factors that spread the fire quickly.
Anyway, kadto nga operation, maka-ingon ko nga organized kaayo. We had volunteers. We had quick response from stations.
Na-abot ang San Fernando, na-abot ang Naga. Kato siya, tinabangay na lang gyud to nga operation.
Kung kinsa to ang nakapwesto na gyud, mao to ang mobomba.
Katong late na-abot, mo-feed na lang to sila sa tubig para dili na magka-gubot.
The fire trucks weren’t an issue because they responded quickly. Wa pud tay problema sa tubig kay na’y hydrant didto sa ubos mismo sa Ayala.
Mao nang importante kaayo ang hydrant, kay kun layo pa kaayo, maglisud gyud mi ato sa operation maski unsa pa kadaghan sa fire trucks kay naa may delay.
So with its strategic location, the operation was continuous.
Ang medyo kulang lang were the breathing apparatus kay naa man ta sa stage karon nga nag-change or upgrading sa mga gamit. Makit-an nato ang mga bombero nga dili pa kaayo nindot nga mga gears.
Nagkulang ang breathing apparatus, nahurot — because it only lasts for 30 minutes — after, mag-ilis na pud og tangke.
Some of them, nag-refill lang sa kilid.
What is the “task force alpha” for?
They are called “running cards.” In a municipal level, for example, nasunog ang balay, tawagon lang nato na ug first alarm, which means only one fire truck would respond.
Pagtanaw sa hepe or ground commander nga kaya ra ni siya ug first alarm.
But if he feels that it needs more assistance, he would raise it to second alarm.
The closest neighboring stations would then respond. Magka-taas ang alarm, magka-daghan ang fire trucks.
Katong bravo, kinahanglan na gyud kaayo na’g daghang trucks.
General alarm: If the fire is in the city, Carcar would be the farthest respondent.
In the last four years, what are your most unforgettable experiences?
The most challenging for me was the suicide alarm when I was assigned in Cebu City in 2013.
Lisud kaayo labi pag kita ang mag negotiate ganahan siya molayat gikan sa taas nga kahoy.
Wala’y problema kay kung matagak siya, pwede ra mabali, pero kato nga time, naa’y nakahikot cable wire sa iyang ulo ug li-og, so kung ug mulayat siya, mahikog gyud.
Ang second was the earthquake nga 7.2 magnitude.
We responded in Pasil, and then the Yolanda typhoon.
Ang sunog, magaan-gaan man kay naa may daghang mayo nga bombero ug daghan pud makaresponde.
Could this be true: no fire, no work?
What the public does not know is that fire fighting or suppression covers only 20 percent of the job. Ang kanang 80 percent, mao na siya ang prevention.
What is that? It covers inspection of the buildings. For example, in a city, there are about 1,000 establishments dapat sa whole year ma-inspection na namo.
Why?
For safety purposes.
Ug mahagbong sila, these establishments can’t be granted certificate of safety.
We organize fire drills, earthquake drill amoa pud ng trabaho.
We also cater to trainings, especially call centers situated in high rise buildings.
We teach how to rappel to evacuate high rise buildings.
We’re not nurses but we’re trained to do CPR.
How do you handle suicide cases?
The first action is to find out the reason he or she wants to commit suicide.
Ma-ilhan pud nimo kung ganahan gyud na siya magpakamatay, dili na na maka-abot ang mga rescuers, kung 100 percent gyud siyang ganahan magpakamatay.
Kung maabtan pa sa mga rescuers, meaning ana, nagduha-duha pa na siya.
Inig abot ngadto, sa negotiation, you have to introduce yourself — the Bureau of Fire Protection — that we are here to help you.
Good example is when I asked one male victim and told me his wife has left him.
Ako, as negotiator, wala daw siya’y kwarta. So we contributed money and offered it to him.
During the operations, it’s also important that the PNP officers are present to manage the security. There’s also a medical team stationed nearby.
What is the role of women in BFP?
In this field, there are no male or female.
We all stand equal.
If the men take 150 pushups, the women also take the same number of repetition.
We all share the same tasks.
In fact, there are women who drive fire trucks.
Share to us some fire prevention tips.
Everything should be unplugged.
Atong bantayan labi pa karon nga ting tugnaw na, even summer.
Ang problema gyud nato ang technical: overcharging of gadgets, octopus wiring.
And as much as possible, ug mogamit ug kandila, kinahanglan naa gyuy magbantay.
Maayo gyud mo gamit ta’g emergency lights.
Ang mga bata dili nato pagamiton ug posporo.
Importante gyud kung makahibaw sa hotline. Activated na ang 911 or 160.