Chief Superintendent Roberto Genave, director of BFP-7, explains the purpose of having the Marine Rescue Force. | Photo from Lapu-Lapu City PIO
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu – The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Lapu-Lapu City launched on Tuesday, June 27, its “Marine Rescue Force” (MRF).
The rescue force, that consist of 13 members, was among those responsible for ensuring the safety of local residents and foreign guests while on the city’s seas.
Chief Superintendent Roberto Genave, director of BFP’s Central Visayas office (BFP-7), said that it was the first that they organized a “Marine Rescue Force” in Cebu.
“I was encouraging a lot of our personnel [coming from the] other areas to have [their own rescue force]. Of course, we cannot afford facilities like this without any help from other LGUs, our locators, stakeholders here, especially hotels and operators. As much as we want, we can provide manpower,” Genave said.
BFP will also collaborate with other government agencies, like the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy, in providing training to their personnel.
During the launch on Tuesday, the Lapu-Lapu City Fire Department also signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with a dive shop owner for the training of their own divers.
Genave and Superintendent Tito Purgatorio, the Lapu-Lapu City Fire Marshal, represented the BFP in the MOA signing. Dive shop owner Jerome Seo and professional diver Emeterio “Emi” Bonghanoy acted as the private sector representatives.
Aside from this, East Asia Utilities also donated to the MRF a rubber boat that has a capacity to carry 10 to 12 divers.
Meanwhile, Genave said that under the BFP modernization program, the agency was planning to procure sea and air assets to improve its fire suppression capabilities.
He said that they were planning to procure sea ambulances for their fire suppression activities, rescue, and for transportation.
“So, at present, they are already in the pipeline. We are now buying a lot of sea ambulance. But it is multi-role, it’s capable of doing fire fighting, rescue, and medical transport for our community, for our constituents here in Central Visayas,” he added.
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