In this photo from the Cebu City Fire Office Facebook page, firefighters are seen in a simulation exercise on a high-rise building at the Cebu Business Park.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Fire Office (CCFO) held a simulation exercise on disaster preparedness on a high rise building on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.
Senior Fire Officer 2 (SFO2) Wendell Villanueva, information officer of the CCFO, said that this activity is part of their activities for Fire Prevention Month 2022.
Villanueva said this activity is important since Cebu City is a highly urbanized area with a lot of high-rise buildings.
Responding to fires in high-rise buildings is a bit more challenging, which is why firefighters should be equipped with skills and resources in responding to fire incidents in these kinds of buildings.
“Sayod man ta nga kining simulation exercise is a fictional event nga makita nato atoang plans and procedures on how to respond especially aning mga high rise buildings,” Villanueva said.
(We are aware that this simulation exercise is a fictional event wherein we can see and assess our plans and procedures on how to respond, especially in high rise buildings.)
Room for improvement
Although he believes the CCFO is capable of responding to incidents in high-rise buildings, Villanueva said that there is still room for improvement.
“Of course, there is still room for improvement. Daghan pa ta’g i-practice pa,” he said.
(Of course, there is still room for improvement. We still have a lot to practice.)
As of March 29, 2022, the CCFO recorded 19 fire incidents in the city since the start of the month, causing P52 million damage to property. Most of these incidents involved electrical problems such as loose electrical connections.
Most of the fires were in residential areas.
Since summer time is fast approaching, Villanueva appeals to the public to be careful in their activities to prevent fires. He reminds everyone of the importance of knowledge in preventing and responding to fire incidents.
As they are about to conclude with their Fire Prevention Month celebration this March 31, Villanueva continues to remind the public that preventing fire is everyone’s responsibility.
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