Avoidable Losses

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The fire prevention month has just ended, and another fire has totally destroyed a 50-year-old church in Ilog. The official cause of the fire has been tagged as faulty electrical wiring, but the reason why the place of worship was burned to the ground was that the town did not have a functional fire truck. The fire trucks that responded to the fire had to come from the neighboring cities and towns of Kabankalan, Himamaylan, Binalbagan, and Cauayan: all at least 20 minutes away from the scene.

How can a fire department call itself one if its firemen do not have a fire truck to get around in? Stories of ill-equipped firemen who lack fire fighting and protective equipment necessary to perform their jobs are common in the Philippines, and in spite of their deficiencies when it comes to equipment, they still have been able to perform their duties in saving lives and property. That is exactly why the Filipino firefighters are living heroes.

But this one takes the cake: It did not matter how brave or competent the firemen of Ilog were, because in the end, when they were needed, they simply had no way of getting to the fire. Hopefully, this was just a case of bad luck, where the town's only fire truck was unfortunately under repair during the time of the incident. But if there is actually no fire truck for Ilog, or if the only fire truck has been out of order for an indefinite period already, then somebody has to take responsibility for this costly oversight.

This fire should serve as a wake up call to local government units. It is their duty to ensure that their support systems are functional and dependable at all times. At the very least, fire trucks, police cars, and garbage trucks have to be useable and not eternally broken down. Fuel must be available at all times for service vehicles so they can be used during emergencies without delay. Firemen must have protective suits, hoses, and water, while policemen must have bullets and handcuffs. The people of towns and cities have to be able to depend on their local government to protect their lives and properties. That is why they pay taxes in the first place.*