NCR firefighters vow 5-minute response time vs New Year fires

In preparation for possible fire breakouts in the run-up to the New Year, the Bureau of Fire Protection in Metro Manila reminded its firefighters to remain alert, avoid getting drunk, and be at the fire scene in five minutes. Fire chief Senior Superintendent Pablito Cordeta said firefighters will have 30 seconds to hit the road, and five minutes to get to the scene of a fire. "In 30 seconds pagkatanggap ng tawag nasa kalsada na sila. In five minutes dapat in area of responsibility sila (In 30 seconds after receiving a call, they must be on the road. They must be in the area of responsibility in five minutes)," Cordeta said in an interview on dzBB.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV He said the previous policy of verifying a fire first before getting to the actual scene would take firefighters 10 to 15 minutes. Cordeta also reminded his people to remain alert and avoid getting drunk during the New Year revelries. "Walang maglalasing, walang iinom (No one drinks, no one gets drunk). They must be ready for any public calls emergency calls," he said. Meanwhile, Cordeta reminded village officials to activate their Barangay Integrated Defense Action (BIDA) as the first line of defense against fires. This includes using improvised firefighting equipment such as sandbags and drums of water. Cordeta also appealed to revelers to practice safety in lighting firecrackers. Aside from the Interior Department’s 117 hotline, the public may also call 4071230 and 7295166 in case of fires. - with Nikka Corsino/LBG, GMANews.TV