CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City Government, led by Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano, together with city officials, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), conducted a test of Taiwanese-made firefighting drones at the Mandaue City Hall grounds yesterday, May 25.
The firefighting drones are primarily designed for responding to fires in high-rise buildings, which city officials believe will greatly benefit Mandaue as a highly-urbanized city with a growing number of tall structures.
“Mandaue being a highly-urbanized city, daghan kaayo ta og mga tag-as nga building, magamit g’yud kaayo siya,” Ouano said in an interview.
He said the drones can reach heights of up to 100 meters and cost around ?3 million to ?5 million each.
The city government is considering renting at least one drone first before making a long-term investment.
“If ever mokuha man gani ang city, dili lang siguro dayon i-purchase diretso, i-rent lang sa siguro for one year. Just to see kung magamit ba g’yud nato,” Ouano said.
He added that renting the drone would cost significantly less than purchasing them outright. A private company is expected to submit a proposal for the city government’s consideration, particularly regarding operational costs and safety features.
Ouano noted that the drones could serve as a more cost-effective alternative to acquiring additional fire trucks, which may cost between ?20 million and ?50 million or more.
The BFP’s tallest fire ladder can only reach up to 35 meters, making the drones a potentially valuable addition in responding to emergencies involving taller buildings across the city.
However, Ouano raised concerns regarding the drones’ safety features, particularly because they operate at heights of up to 100 meters while carrying water hoses.
“Naa man gud tay nakita kining mga gagmay nga drones karon nga kung naay object muhunong siya ba, mao na iyang safety features gani, kani wala pa,” Ouano said, referring to the firefighting drones lacking obstacle-detection features.
Despite these concerns, Ouano said the city government is exploring innovative solutions to improve disaster response and protect more structures during fire incidents.
CDRRMO head Buddy Ybañez emphasized the importance of having firefighting drones in the city.
“Mas maayo nga naa tay ingon ani bisan wala pa nagkinahanglan kay mo-abot ra ang panahon nga magkinahanglan ta unya wala tay ingon ani,” Ybañez said.
Ybañez added that while the fire code already requires buildings four stories and over to have their own firefighting capabilities, he believes the firefighting drones would provide additional support.
He said the CDRRMO is considering the possible purchase of the drones, particularly because of their advanced firefighting capabilities.
The BFP wants it
For Mandaue BFP chief Fire Chief Inspector Alvin Torion, the importance of the device goes beyond improving fire response capabilities, it is also about protecting the lives of firefighters on the ground.
“Personally speaking, ganahan g’yud kaayo ko ani. Akong manghod man gud bombero sad siya and sa usa ka dako nga sunog sa Cebu, niana g’yud siya nga abi niya og dili na siya makakita nako. Naa siya sa tenth floor, ang nine to ubos dili na maagian,” Torion shared.
The incident left a lasting impression on him and highlighted the dangers firefighters face during high-rise fire operations, especially when exits and lower floors become inaccessible.
“With that, maka-ingon ko nga wala nay mga bombero o kinsay responder diri sa Mandaue nga mo undergo ato nga experience. If naa ta ato nga device, mas daghan ta og maluwas nga kinabuhi,” he added.
Torion explained that the drone would not only speed up operations but also improve responder safety and overall firefighting capability.
“Gawas sa madali ang atong operation, since wala paman tay capability karon, 6th floor raman atong pinakataas nga kaya nato, mas ma-increase ang atong fire responding capability and safe sad ang atong mga responders,” he said.
He also emphasized the drone’s impressive water pressure performance during the live demonstration. He said the drone reached 210 pounds per square inch (PSI), a measurement used to determine the strength of water pressure.
“The firefighter drone can retain its pressure and that is actually good because it is also capable of fighting up to 100 meters, that’s more or less a 30-story building,” Torion explained.
“During sa testing ganiha, niabot na siya og 210 PSI which is mas kusog sa atong fire truck nga atong gipasirit diri sa ubos nga mo average rata og 80 to 150 PSI. So ganina, kusog kaayo. While naa sa taas less na sa pressure pero nilimpyo pa siya og 200 to 210 PSI. Para nako nindot g’yud kaayo to siya nga device samot na karon nga nanaghan na ang atong mga high-rise building. Hopefully kini supportahan ug matinuod kini,” he added. — Daniela Medina, CNU intern/BRP (FREEMAN)