CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is mulling the restriction of structure heights and requiring developers to construct twin tower-type buildings in the city.
The pronouncement came following the formal turnover yesterday of an 18-story aerial ladder firetruck and ambulance from the City Government to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 7.
“If there’s a fire in your high-rise building, we can’t save you. That’s my warning to the people of the city. In the internet, you can see all these high-rise buildings where people are jumping out… because they can’t be saved. This is one of the biggest nightmares of any mayor, to be standing in front of a fire, watching people jump out of their windows,” Osmeña told reporters in a news conference.
He said he will discuss two options with some engineers to study the situation.
Options
The first option is to limit structure heights to a level where responders can immediately save those who are affected in the event of an incident.
The mayor said that if the restriction cannot be fully implemented, the other option is to encourage buyers, especially real estate customers, not to purchase properties above the eighth floor.
As for company developers that want to go beyond a certain height, he said the former should at least build twin tower-type buildings with firewalls protecting each structure.
He said that each floor will have bridges connecting one to the other so occupants will not have to run down the fire escape and instead proceed to the building that is not burning.
Despite being originally constructed as two buildings, Osmeña clarified that it will still look like one intact structure from the outside.
“We want to secure the lives of the people. I may have to, at some point, sit down with some of our councilors and engineers to make some modifications on our building rules. One is the fire safety on high rise and the parking requirements,” Osmeña said.
Assurance
In a separate interview, BFP 7 Director Senior Supt. Samuel Tadeo said the firetruck, being the country’s most high-end equipment, will help them in their rescue and recovery operations involving high-rise buildings.
He also assured that the 12 personnel who were trained by the suppliers from South Korea will not be reassigned to other areas to ensure the equipment’s maintenance.
Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office Head Nagiel Bañacia said that while the truck is helpful, he hopes it will never be used in the city.
“How I wish that we won’t use this one and will not go out of the station because the moment we do, it would mean that something wrong is happening,” he said.
He also admitted that the personnel still need more training and next year, fire officials from Haarlemmermeer, the city’s sister city in The Netherlands, will facilitate the activity for BFP.