Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Cabaero: Fire Prevention (Every) Month By Nini B. Cabaero Beyond 30
THE image left in our minds with the end of Fire Prevention Month was that of the firetruck in Oslob that residents salvaged into working to put out the blaze on the town church.
Fire Prevention Month ended yesterday, March 31, with the fire that hit the centuries-old Oslob town church in the news to remind us of the work still ahead in battling fire.
Every March is marked by heightened awareness of the dangers of fire accidents that in minutes could wipe out lives and a lifetime of hard work and savings. It is the time of the year when authorities give importance to preventing fires from occurring and battling fires when they happen. March was picked because it is the start of summer when temperatures soar, and heat is known to trigger accidents.
In terms of statistics, the damage this year during Fire Prevention Month was less than that of last year which was recorded as the deadliest in a long while.
This month the most prominent fire incident in the news was the one that gutted the centuries-old Immaculate Conception Parish and its convent in the southern town of Oslob, Cebu. What made the incident stand out was the fact that the church was one of the oldest in Cebu, some 150 to 160 years old and was fourth in the list of the province’s heritage churches after those in Boljoon, Argao, and Dalaguete towns.
What added to its being a newsworthy event was the account of residents that they had to push one of the town’s two fire trucks, both disabled, to help put out the blaze. It was something for the books. The church was only 50 meters away from the fire station.
In last year’s Fire Prevention Month, the concern was on the series of incidents that not only destroyed property but also claimed several lives.
There were at least six incidents in Metro Cebu that month with the deadliest being the fire where seven members of a Chinese-Filipino family were killed on March 25, 2007. Prior to this, there were other fires in Cebu and Mandaue cities that left casualties. Those incidents of March last year gave Cebu the record of having the most fire incidents and related deaths during Fire Prevention Month in the country.
It was a record that Cebu could not be proud of but it was a clear sign there was a lot of work ahead in coming up with more awareness, developing a firefighting strategy or action plan and in correcting errors in zoning for residential and commercial areas.
This year’s Fire Prevention Month in Cebu was markedly less deadly but equally agonizing. And the call for better equipment, more preparation and additional learning is still as urgent.
There is no sigh of relief whenever Fire Prevention Month ends because it is not about a month-long celebration but of a year-long preparation. We might as well do away with Fire Prevention Month and call it ‘Fire Prevention (Every) Month’ or something to that effect.
And, as shown from the Oslob fire and the reactions that followed, the preparation is not by the fire department solely but of all those who could pitch in and help.
