Guv to firemen: Keep the Fire burning

“KEEP the fire burning,” Governor Edgar Chatto told members of the Provincial Intergrated Fire
Alarm and other Related Emergency Responders Dispatching System (PIFARERDS), which is mostly
composed of fire men.

Addressing the strong PIFARERDS members composed of firemen, coast guard, amateur
communications groups, Red Cross, Outdoors groups and government rescue agencies during the
first anniversary of the integrated rescue and quick action salvage team launched here, Chatto
however meant the fire of enthusiasm and zeal they pushes every volunteer to act with courage.

Short of saying that there’s little we can do to predict disasters, Chatto instead grounded his
arguments on preapredness which has always been the name of the game.

Committing the provincial government resources including technical, financial, moral and logistical
support, Chatto also added that he is optimistic that with the continued collaboration, a much
stronger force could be created for emergency reponse.

Highlighting manpower training and citing critical technologies and equipment in rescue and
emergency situations, he also said dared volunteers to use the new frontiers in communication
technologies as a means to reach out to some more people.

Bohol PIFARERDS was created as a Special Project of the Provincial Government in coordination with
the Bureau of Fire Protection by virtue of Provincial Ordinance No. 2004-015 and Executive Order No.
17 series of 2004 aimed at addressing the day-to-day emergency requirement of the province in an
integrated approach, a
ccording to a briefing by FSSupt Pepe Rebusa of the Bohol Bureau of Fire Protection.

Its goal is to preserve life and property through an integrated emergency response in the community,
he added.

Part of its objectives is to preserve prompt response to request for assistance in cases of disaster
such as fires, earthquakes, and other natural or man-made calamities, and accidents and to provide
information to the public on the basis of firefighting, first aid, rescue operation and emergency
reporting and communication.

He said the volunteer members respond to calls for public safety service lines like fire, sparking wire
and medical emergency like pre-hospitalization care or first aid to life threatening emergencies,
ambulance assistance, emergency rescue, traffic accidents, and other related emergencies.
(PIABohol)