CH donates rescue equipment to BFP

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government yesterday donated P850,000 worth of rescue operation equipment to the city fire department to boost the agency’s disaster response capability.

Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council operations officer Alvin Santillana said the original budget from their office was P1 million but was able to incur savings when the equipment was purchased.

“These are about eight hundred fifty thousand. One million was allotted for this from the city disaster but the acquisition got some savings. This is in compliance with the standing order of the mayor to support the Bureau of Fire Protection,” Santillana said.

Mayor Michael Rama said the assistance was given notwithstanding the conflicts from national and local government offices.

“The City of Cebu assisted them (BFP) bisag naay away ang national ug local because I believe in not punishing the public for the problems created by some. Plus, I can see the humility of city fire marshal who is also a lawyer at the same time,” Rama told reporters.

The mayor added that he told city fire marshal Atty. Vonrad Fernando Dubluis to “use properly, keep, and maintain” the equipment.

Dubluis personally accepted the equipment to be used by their search and rescue unit, composed of 12 members with six members per shift. “These will really help the BFP in terms of helping out in rescue operations considering the scarcity of resources,” the city fire marshal said.

While grateful for the assistance extended by the city government to be able to respond better to emergencies, he stressed that they still need more equipment to empower the eight substations in the city.

The first set of equipment purchased from Weld Industrial Sales amounted to P546,980 included one impact drill, reciprocating saw, circular saw, chipping hammer, two generator sets, two cut-off machines, two chain saws, one portable propeller ventilation, air ventilation fan, ten bolt cutters, four LED flood lights, 10 halogen search lights, one acetylene-oxygen cutting outfit, and two suction pumps.

The second set was made from D.L.A. Marine and Safety and Trading amounting to P292,678. These include two 11mmx100meter kernmantol rope, four sets harness, two tandem pulley, three simple pulley, two rescue 8 big anodized light alloy, two rescue 8 big with ear anodized light alloy, three 110x63mm carabiner D-shape stainless steel screw gate, three 110x62mm carabiner D-shape anodized light alloy screw gate, 10 life vests, 30 battery packs, and 10 tactical boots.— (FREEMAN)