Firemen urged to upgrade firefighting equipment

MANILA, Philippines -  Victims of fire incidents that hit Metro Manila recently have urged the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Department of Interior and Local Government to speed up the procurement of modern and technologically advanced fire trucks that can immediately and effectively respond to emergencies.

Ramon Tupaz, a victim from the BIR Road fire last month, said that though fire personnel were swift in putting out fire, their equipment and fire trucks, most of which are old and defective, seem to hamper their mission and mandate to fight fire and save lives and properties.

A foam fire truck unit was a big help, as personally witnessed by BFP-NCR chief Santiago Laguna who was always on fire scenes supervising operations.

The said fire truck unit that utilizes compressed air foam was manufactured by Anos Research, a long time partner and ally of the fire bureau, according to Marlon Pajanostan, fire fighting personnel of the volunteer fire group that responded to several fire incidents in Metro Manila last month. He said that because of its capability to produce unlimited foam, they were able to fight raging fire longer.

This developed as Agham party-list Rep. Angelo Palmones called on the BFP to listen to the clamor of the Filipinos to finally procure the right and proper fire truck, and not the proposed Power Take Off or PTO-driven fire truck foam unit for this year. 

Palmones warned the bureau that PTO technology is obsolete, and is disadvantageous in the long run, because of its second hand or surplus state. 

He also reminded the fire bureau to modernize correctly, and that if they are to adapt to foam technology, it should also be the much cheaper, highly efficient and non-harmful to humans and environment as well. Palmones said that Agham will continue to support the BFP by continuously guiding them while religiously looking after the benefit of the Filipinos.