A five-minute switch on of fire trucks kicked off the start of Davao City’s celebration of Fire Prevention Month, March 1, coinciding with the official opening of the 86th Araw ng Dabaw.
City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) chief retired PCol. Alfredo Baloran bared this during Wednesday’s COVID-19 Alert program of the 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR).
He said that challenging situations often come when the city celebrates Fire Prevention Month with the theme, “Sa Pag-iwas sa Sunog, ‘di ka Nag-iisa.”
“Pahibalo kining mga bulan sugaton gyud ta’g mga dagkong sunog. Nahitabo na gyud. Hopefully, dili mausban (Note that these months we will encounter big fires. It really happened. Hopefully, nothing of that sort will happen again),” he said.
Baloran was referring to the fire that gutted about 1,200 houses in barangays 21-C and 22-C Saturday afternoon, February 25.
He reminded Dabawenyos to be extra careful when charging devices.
He said, “Kung mugamit mo og gadget, appliances ginasaksak, bantayan kanunay. Bantayan nila mga cellphones ug power banks. Kung init ang charger naay diperensya. Kung muinit dili na gyud gamiton (If you use gadgets, or appliances are plugged in, always keep an eye on them. They should watch their cellphones and power banks when charging. If the charger is hot there is a difference. If it heats up, it should not be used at all).”
He added that some homeowners already received payment from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as they will be affected by the coastal road project.
Meanwhile, the Fire Prevention Month opened in a ceremony at SM City Davao on March 1 and will be followed by a roadshow on March 3 and 4 at the same venue.
A city-wide Fire Olympics is scheduled on March 23 and 24. CIO
