Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia has ordered the appointment of fire safety officers in every department of City Hall to guide employees in cases of fire, Executive Assistant Joemarie Vargas yesterday said.

A fire drill was conducted yesterday at City Hall by the Bacolod Bureau of Fire, Amity and Chamber Fire Brigades, and the Public Safety and Emergency Management Office under the City Mayor’s Office.

Vargas said they are planning to assign two safety officers in every department and will discuss this with the department heads next week. They will also designate people who will shut off power supply and who will sound the alarm in cases of fire, he said.

The mayor has also directed the conduct of a city-wide drill involving different scenarios to prepare the public in cases of fire, earthquake, vehicular accident or threats of terroristic attack, Vargas said.

This will involve all sectors and rescue groups, including the Army, Air Force and the Coast Guard, he said.

Vargas said they will inspect all business establishments in the city and organize barangay tanods to handle crowd control in their barangays during fire incidents.

Vargas said the city has already set up a Medical Assistance Team because the mayor does not want people to die on the streets for lack of proper medical attention. Records shows that the highest death rate in Bacolod is caused by vehicular accidents, he said.

The mayor’s directive is to come up with a scenario where immediate medical response can be provided to the victims in case of vehicular accidents, and states that he wants  proper coordination among the concerned agencies, Vargas added.*CGS

back to top