Some surefire reminders for summer

Suddenly it’s summer. And suddenly, we cringe at the fact that the incidence of fire has risen with the temperature. Property losses from fire over the last five years have been estimated at P24.84 billion, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection. Of course, there’s no estimating the valuable lives lost. The saddest part is that lives could have been saved and properties spared if people had been better informed and thus, better armed and protected, says Chief Inspector Ruben Morales of the Bureau of Fire Protection.

"The problem is, when people see something burning, instead of helping put out the fire, their tendency is to run to their respective houses and bring out their belongings," the Chief Inspector tells us. "It’s like seeing a snake and ignoring it so what happens is it bites everything it meets on its path."

Morales comes to the rescue of firefighters who are reportedly on the take. He asserts, "This the real score: When there’s a fire, the fire commander will size up the extent of fire and if possible, pinpoint its origin. He’ll try to confine this so what he’ll do is he’ll protect the adjacent streets where his men will train their hoses on. They’ll bombard these areas with water so these will not catch fire easily. This is what’s called cover exposure because the whole neighborhood is exposed to the heat of fire. Since this particular house, for instance, is already burning, what we do is we make the heat subside by spraying the adjacent houses, which are thus protected from getting contaminated. Another part of the firefighting operation is salvaging or removing all things inside a building which is about to burn down. That’s why it’s mandatory for the owner of the house or building to be present. It’s SOP that once you get out of a burning building, you shouldn’t go back."

This is just one of many fiery reminders that are given to people during those fire seminars conducted in the barangays. "But when they hear there’s one such seminar," Morales relates, "their reaction is, ‘Bombero na naman! Last year, nagturo na yan.’ And I ask them, ‘But did you learn anything?’"

So once more – for the umpteenth time – the Bureau of Fire Protection gives these fire prevention measures:

• Crush your cigarette and cigar stubs thoroughly before discarding them. Provide yourselves with ashtrays. Do not smoke in bed.

• Oil or gas and other native lamps should be placed away from curtains and other objects that easily catch fire. Do not put them where the wind, children, cats or other moving beings may topple them. Put out the flame before going to bed.

• Do not store any flammable substance or any volatile liquid in the kitchen. Cover the flammable container tightly.

• Extinguish all live charcoals and embers or concentrate them in the middle of the stove when you’re done with kitchen chores. Make it a habit to inspect the kitchen before retiring. Most fires in the home occur at night.

• Keep matches and lighters away from reach of children.

• Clear the corners and nooks of the house of rubbish, rags and other waste materials.

• Remove leaves that have accumulated in gutters and other parts of the roof, wood shavings and litter in the attic.

• Rubbish burning should be done on the stove or in the yard away from the house wall. Every smoldering coal left from the bonfire should be extinguished. Be careful that no flying embers from the bonfire alight on the roof of the house.

• Do not use open flames for decoration in the house.

• Burnable objects, such as firewood, waste paper and rags should not be indiscriminately dumped or strewn in the house.

• Kerosene and oil stoves should be checked for leakage and regularly cleaned.

• Do not use leaking liquefied petroleum gas installations.

The Chief Inspector adds another very important reminder: "Most fires happen at night. The reason firetrucks get delayed in responding is that they can’t enter a narrow street because it is congested with vehicles that are double-parked at night. We do not have emergency or fire lanes as in other countries. So please, avoid parking your car in the street at night."

Morales is happy to note that the bureau has bidded for 12 mini firetrucks which are due for delivery soon. "These can be used in narrow streets," he says.

So when there’s a fire or any other accident in the neighborhood or when there’s a calamity, who you gonna call?

The Bureau of Fire Protection’s emergency team, of course!

"We’re the first responding team who gives first aid in case of a calamity or accident," says Inspector Rowena Pring, a registered nurse. "We’re the ones who transfer the victims from the scene of the accident to the hospital."

These ladies, so full of courage and energy, are there whenever and wherever calamities strike. "Yes, we were among the first to respond when the houses at Cherry Hill Subdivision in Antipolo collapsed due a landslide at the height of a typhoon in Aug., 1999," they vividly recall. "We were also there at the Ozone disco fire where our fire commander raised the highest alarm ever. But only the firemen could get in and the bodies that were recovered were already charred. The problem was the door could not be pushed outwards – it had to be pulled from the inside – so a lot of people who rushed to the door were trapped."

Simply dial 117. "But please, only if it’s a real emergency," pleads Inspector Pring, with Inspector Jocelyn Moises, and Fire Officers 1 Fatima Bravo and Paz Rosaluna II. They lament, "We get a lot of crank calls so the line is often busy. You can also call our station at 911-90-09 or 421-25-28 and through radio, your message will be relayed to us."

"We have nurses, medical technicians, physical therapists," says Morales. "It’s a complete staff. Time will come when we may have our own hospital for us to better respond to any emergency call, either an accident or anything health-related."

These men – and women – certainly do their job with a lot of fire in their hearts!

* * * The stress is on Stresstabs

Dear Consumerline:

We are writing in behalf of our client, Whitehall Philippines, manufacturers of Stresstabs, in reaction to the "9 short steps to long life" article published March 12. In Step 9, the bullet point reads: "Avoid stress tabs or taking large doses of B vitamins. Even though B-vitamins are water soluble, supplementing with more than 100 mg of B6 for extended periods can cause nerve damage in susceptible individuals."

This statement may have inadvertently disparaged our brand and our consumers might believe that the avoidance of Stresstabs is advocated. Besides, Stresstabs contains only 25 mg of vitamin B6.

Sincerely,
JAY REANTASO
Senior account manager
Gallardo & Associates, Inc.

Stresstabs is a high-potency anti-stress formula that contains high levels of vitamins (like vitamins C, E, B1, B2, B6, B12, niacinamide, pantothenic acid, folic acid) plus iron. Too much stress on the body may cause vitamin deficiency, weaken the body’s immune system and lead to serious ailments like heart disease, stroke or cancer.

Stresstabs helps replenish needed vitamins and minerals lost during periods of stress, helping protect the body during stress.