Wednesday, March 26, 2008 Speak Out: Carcar City fire By Engr. Ral Alesna Lofranco Carcar City Jockers Club
VICTIMS of the March 17, 2008 fire in Poblacion 1, Carcar City, together with concerned citizens and NGOs, are worried about the incompetence of city firemen.
The fire was initially small, affecting one the houses near the bridge. The City Fire Department is located at the City Hall, which is near the fire scene.
When the alarm was sounded, two fire trucks responded but one of them only had the driver who also operated the water hose. The other fire truck had street cleaners (kamineros) who volunteered for the job in the absence of firefighters.
Because of lack of training and experience, the “firefighters” were not able to properly operate the hose. Fire victims and residents also got frustrated upon seeing that the pressure from the hose was so weak the water failed to douse the fire.
Firefighters from the towns of Barili, Sibonga, Argao and San Fernando were able to operate their units efficiently, but they arrived only after five houses were razed.
The poor and lackluster performance of Carcar firefighters in that fire worries town residents and some organizations like the Carcar City Jockers Club.
What if disasters, like typhoons, earthquakes/flashfloods and another fire, occur in the city? How prepared is the city to handle the situation?
It is high time the City Government seeks immediate assistance from the National Disaster Coordinating Center in Central Visayas so that seminars on disaster preparedness will be put in place.
With that, Carcar residents will have peace of mind.
