Panayam kay BFP spokesperson F/Supt. Annalee Atienza
Panayam kay BFP spokesperson F/Supt. Annalee Atienza
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Preparation and reminder, now the celebration of the new year is coming.
00:04 We are joined by the Fire Superintendent, Annalie Atienza,
00:08 the spokesperson of the Bureau of Fire Protection.
00:10 Ma'am Annalie, good afternoon and welcome to the new Philippines now.
00:15 Good afternoon, Ma'am.
00:18 And to our USIC March, good afternoon.
00:21 Okay, Ma'am, now the new year's eve is coming.
00:26 What are the preparations of the Bureau of Fire Protection up to now?
00:30 Of course, we are on red alert.
00:34 The entire force of the Bureau of Fire Protection is on red alert.
00:38 Where we are still continuing our activities on fire prevention,
00:44 increasing the level of awareness of our community,
00:48 especially this Christmas and upcoming new year.
00:54 So there is our roving, our fire truck visibility,
00:59 and also the inspection of our manufacturers and sellers of firecrackers.
01:05 And also, this is what we call roadshow.
01:08 We are going to the malls with our mascot, Berong Bombero,
01:15 so that we can really get rid of the incident of fire in our country.
01:24 Ma'am, can you explain to our fellow countrymen
01:27 the code red alert status of the BFP?
01:31 And what does this alert status mean?
01:35 Yes, Ma'am, this is the code or red alert status of the Bureau of Fire Protection
01:42 where we all need to respond in case we need our services.
01:51 But there is no one allowed to leave during this time
01:58 because the entire force of the Bureau of Fire Protection needs to be on full force.
02:04 The entire Bureau is really busy this New Year.
02:09 Ma'am, aside from the celebration of Christmas and New Year,
02:12 when is the Bureau of Fire Protection usually raising the code red alert status?
02:18 We have a memorandum starting December 23.
02:23 The entire Bureau of Fire Protection is now code red.
02:26 This will be until January 1, 2024.
02:30 Or sometimes it is extended depending on our situation.
02:34 Ma'am, what are the operational readiness and precautionary measures
02:41 that the BFP is currently implementing under the OPLAN Iwas Papotok Program?
02:48 Of course, we are really focusing on the fire truck visibility
02:53 where we have a public address,
02:56 where there are firefighters.
02:58 Our troops are regularly reminding the specialists in the areas
03:05 where the terminals are located.
03:08 The presence of our men in uniform wearing tangerines,
03:14 our very visible uniform in orange,
03:18 which they also call "pongkan".
03:20 Our fellowmen can only see that.
03:23 At some point, their senses awaken.
03:26 "Ah, these are our firefighters."
03:28 They remind them to avoid fire,
03:31 the danger of using electrical appliances at home,
03:36 the cooking process,
03:38 if someone was killed or left behind,
03:40 and the firecrackers,
03:42 if we are using them correctly.
03:44 It also gives a sense of security when our officers are seen in pongkan uniform.
03:52 Yes, ma'am. I will just add,
03:54 we are also on social media.
03:56 Almost all avenues that we can go to,
04:00 the Bureau of Fire Protection is already there
04:02 to continue reminding us all.
04:04 How many incidents have there been this holiday season?
04:08 And what is the usual number?
04:10 My data is year-round, ma'am.
04:16 This is nationwide.
04:18 January 1 to December 26,
04:22 we have a record of 15,679.
04:26 So this is a bit high compared to last year,
04:30 when it was 12,000.
04:34 That's around 20.7% increase.
04:38 And the majority of these fires are residential.
04:42 This is our problem because in residential,
04:50 it is not included in the fire code
04:54 where there is an annual fire safety inspection.
04:58 But it is only when it is constructed and before it is occupied.
05:04 But over time,
05:06 that's what happens,
05:08 there are more appliances,
05:10 there are new family members.
05:14 So our household is getting more and more.
05:18 And our lines of supply are often overlooked.
05:24 If our supply or capacity of electricity is still available.
05:30 And because of that,
05:32 that's what we have listed as major causes.
05:36 This is the electrical ignition.
05:38 So we have three top causes.
05:42 The first is the electrical ignition caused by arcing.
05:46 Where the line of electricity arcs from one point to the other.
05:52 So it's broken, hard, or it's broken.
05:56 Our appliances are sometimes unavoidable.
06:00 And the second is still the same, electrical ignition.
06:04 This is caused by loose connection.
06:08 So our appliances,
06:10 the plug is loosened over time.
06:14 So that's also, for example, a plant.
06:18 While we are planting, the plug moves.
06:20 We don't notice that there is a spark.
06:22 And that's where it starts.
06:24 And the third is smoking or lighted cigarettes.
06:29 Our prayer is that there should be no smoking.
06:35 Aside from hazardous and health,
06:38 it can cause a fire.
06:40 That's a sad fact,
06:42 considering that almost 3,000 families are affected because of that.
06:48 Ma'am, we have a question from our media partner, Earl Tobias of IBC 13.
06:54 According to the BFP, how many incidents of fire were there because of the explosion last year?
07:00 Okay. Last year, we saw 24.
07:09 Sorry, this year, January 1 to December 26.
07:14 So we had 24 fire incidents related to firecrackers.
07:20 Compared to last year, January 1 to December 26 of 2022,
07:27 we reported around 28.
07:32 However, this passed December 24 until today.
07:40 This is a good news that we have zero fire incidents related to firecrackers.
07:47 And our prayer is that we should continue to have zero fire incidents until 2024.
07:55 We will pray for that, ma'am.
07:57 Ma'am, we have another question.
08:01 What are the other ways that you can share to avoid the fire that is caused by the explosion?
08:09 Of course, we should follow the memorandum of our good Secretary of the Local Government,
08:18 Atty. Benbur Abalos, who is encouraging our League of City Mayors
08:23 to ban the firecrackers in households and residential areas.
08:29 Instead, we should be happy here in the designated fireworks display areas in our town.
08:37 Many of our local government units have placed those.
08:41 So we can enjoy watching and make sure that we are safe there.
08:47 In case, as they say, we are a fireboy of bad luck if we set fireworks in our area,
08:55 we should make sure that it is safe, spacious, and will be done by adults.
09:02 That is the most important thing that we remind.
09:06 And that is also the case when there is a water or wind-up bucket.
09:12 It is also good that we have a fire extinguisher in our house,
09:17 not only for firecrackers but for household fires.
09:21 So I hope that others, if they are not that confident to use firecrackers in our residential areas,
09:32 we have many alternatives that are noisy and can be used to protect us from bad luck.
09:37 There are casserole, cans, car horn, or our favorite video recorder.
09:44 The same thing, it can give us the noise that we are looking for.
09:50 And as they say, it can protect us from bad luck.
09:53 We are safe in the new year.
09:56 Maybe we should add "torotot" ma'am.
09:59 Yes ma'am, that's right.
10:02 Thank you very much for your time, Fire Superintendent Annalie Atienza,
10:06 the spokesperson of the Bureau of Fire Protection.
10:09 Thank you ma'am. Happy New Year to all of us.
10:12 And in case there is an incident, dial 911 right away ma'am.
10:17 911. Thank you very much.