It is fervently wished otherwise. We will soon be observing a whole month dedicated to fire prevention.
But ironically, history is replete with stories of huge fires in the month of March – the fire prevention month.
The wisdom of dedicating a whole month to fire prevention is to heighten public consciousness on fire safety.
Summer traditionally starts in March – making it one of the hottest months of the year. The higher the temperatures, the greater the risk of fire – of conflagration.
Heat is not the only element of fire though. To create it, there must be a confluence of three factors – heat, fuel, oxygen.
Urban areas have higher fire risk because of greater human activity that may activate the three elements of fire.
Fire per se is not bad. Most industrial processes depend on fire. History-wise, civilization was molded by fire.
Ensuring public safety ranks high in the obligations of the government. For fire safety, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is mandated to ensure that communities are fire risk-free.
And if fire does hit neighborhoods and establishments, the BFP is equipped to provide the appropriate response to contain it.
The mandate of the BFP, a bureau of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), local government units and other line government agencies as far as fire safety is concerned, comes from Republic Act 9514 or the Comprehensive Fire Code of 2008.
The law tasks the BFP “to ensure public safety and promote economic development through the prevention and suppression of all kinds of destructive fires and promote the professionalization of the fire service as a profession.
“Towards this end, the State shall enforce all laws, rules and regulations to ensure adherence to standard fire prevention and safety measures, and promote accountability for fire safety in the fire protection service and prevention service,” the law says.
As such, the BFP requires buildings, houses, business establishments and industries to comply with fire safety requirements as mandated by the Fire Code.
Owners of these edifices must secure a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC), otherwise, “No occupancy permit, business or permit to operate shall be issued.”
Earlier this month, Provincial Board Member Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba asked the BFP to explain why a liquefied petroleum gas plant in the City of Naga has been issued a FSIC, despite complaints that the LPG plant owned by Petronas, a Malaysian firm is allegedly amiss in complying with certain public safety requirements of the Fire Code.
The LPG plant in question per BFP records has a capacity of more than 2.2 million liters. The Fire Code requires that aboveground LPG tanks with capacities of 378,000 liters should be placed 122 meters away from adjoining properties but the Naga LPG facility is only 65 meters from adjoining properties which include settlement areas, a fact admitted by Petronas.
Obviously the distance requirements is meant to safeguard public safety, reduce fire risk on residents.
The BFP and other parties to this issue better come clean, satisfy the inquiry of the Provincial Board, and other legal venues, otherwise, it has to face the rule of law.
Fire prevention is a 24/7, 365-day affair. That is why compliance with Fire Code requirements should not fall to ‘pwedi na’ or ‘mahilot ra na’ attitude.
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