Fire bureau to inspect schools, boarding houses, dormitories

ALL boarding houses, dormitories and schools in Northern Mindanao will be subjected to a thorough inspection by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in preparation for the school opening in June.

Superintendent Lynde Lauzon, BFP’s officer-in-charge/regional director, said the inspection is part of the BFP’s “Oplan Balik Eskwela” program.

However, Lauzon said inspections in schools, boarding houses and dormitories are also part of the BFP’s year-round regular inspection.

He said he has given instructions to fire marshals in the region to conduct regular and intensified inspection on boarding houses, especially those that have not been declared by their owners.

“We can’t deny that there are those who converted their house into a boarding house so we also include them for inspection to determine compliance to the Fire Safety Code,” Lauzon said.

Related to this, the official urged owners of boarding houses to have a common cooking area and never allow their boarders to cook inside their rooms to prevent any fire incident.

Meanwhile, Lauzon said he expected that the Cagayan de Oro Central Fire Station have already inspected the branch of Novo Jeans in the city following last week’s fire that hit its branch in Butuan City where 17 salesladies died after they were trapped inside the establishment.

“That is under the jurisdiction of the City Fire Station so I expected that they have already conducted inspection especially since the establishment will be renewing its business permit,” he said.

When Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro tried to get the comment of the City Fire Station, City Fire Marshal Ceriaco Talines is reportedly on leave while his deputy was conducting an inspection and is not available for comment.