Senior Fire Investigator (SFO1) Windell Villanueva, Cebu City Police Office
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Around 20 firetrucks will be deployed in Cebu City cemeteries regardless if these will be opened or not during Kalag-Kalag 2021.
Senior Fire Officer (SFO1) Windell Villanueva of the Cebu City Fire Office said their deployment of fire trucks is a way of ensuring safety in cemeteries against fire even though they have no recorded fire incidents in these areas.
Villanueva said that these firetrucks are placed outside the cemetery to respond once needed.
The deployment will last until November 5 or 7. Every firetruck has at least 3 to 4 fire personnel. Villanueva added that they will also tap fire volunteers in the city to help deployed fire personnel.
There are at least 20 cemeteries in Cebu City.
Villanueva, meanwhile, reminded the public to always be cautious during Kalag-Kalag.
“Og mulakaw gani tas panimalay, isiguro nato nga mapawng nato ang electrical appliances as well kining nga kandila nga atoang dagkutan. Kay normally, kita nganhi, tradition nas pinoy nga magdagkot tas kandila para sa atong minatay,” Villanueva said.
(If we leave our houses, we must make sure that we will turn off our electrical appliances as well as lighted candles. Normally, we have this tradition as a Filipino that we light candles for our departed loved ones.)
Villanueva said this as they have reported fire incidents in the past years caused by unattended lighted candles.
READ: Cebu City fore residents told: Be ‘fire safety cautious’