WITH REGARD TO FIRE PREVENTION: City councilor eyes creation of barangay inspectors

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City council will ask barangay officials today to create teams of inspectors for the purpose of conducting an inventory of boarding and lodging houses in their territorial jurisdictions.

City Councilor Arsenio Pacaña said the aim is to find out whether these establishments comply with fire safety regulations and for inspectors to recommend for the clearing of passageways of illegal structures.

Pacaña said getting rid of the illegal structures, particularly in the urban barangays, will help protect lives and properties and also increase the people’s level of awareness in fire prevention.

The Bureau of Fire Protection is celebrating Fire Prevention Month this month.

More often than not, firefighters complain about illegal structures spilling into roads, preventing fire trucks from getting to the fire scene.

“The seeming neglect by some barangays to clear narrow passages or roads of illegal structures that continue to obstruct the entry or movement of fire trucks as well as the lack of fire hydrants in the fire prone areas have always been the perennial problems that have affected the fire fighting capabilities of our firemen,” Pacaña said.

The councilor said he was worried about the announcement of fire officials that the 20 inspectors available cannot be expected to inspect all business establishments, particularly the lodging and boarding houses in the city.   (FREEMAN NEWS)