BFP-7 to launch all-female firefighters

CEBU, Philippines - Expect an all-female squad of firefighters in Metro Cebu in the days to come after the Bureau of Fire Protection-7’s launching this week of the “Berang Bisdak.”

Fire Officer 3 Wendell Villanueva said there will be two teams of female firefighters that will be formally launched by the BFP-7 through the initiative of regional director Fire Senior Superintendent Ismael Codilla.

“We have 12 women firefighters, they will be responding to fire alarms. This is not just demo… but they will be doing actual,” Villanueva said.

They will be divided into two shifts to ensure that there will be female firefighters responding to fire alarms.

Villanueva said after the launching, members of “Berang Bisdak” will be deployed in substations. The women firefighters, he said, will be having separate fire truck that will also be driven by a female driver.

“From driver to crew all are females. They will be given their own fire truck,” he said, adding that the members were both old and new recruits.

Villanueva said the creation of women firefighters has long been planned but it is only now that Codilla is pushing it through, saying that women are already empowered.

 “There is no special treatment. We will show to the public that our women are capable and able to respond to fire alarms,” Villanueva said.

He added that female firefighters are well trained, having undergone four to six months training at the National Fire Training Institute.

Fire Officer 3 Rochelle Oporto Seno said she has been working at the fire department for eight years now. She was assigned at the Regional Budget Office before she joins the women firefighters.

“Before we are all in the office doing office works but now we came out from the four corners of the room,” she said, adding they can now show what they can do.

The launching of “Berang Bisdak” is also in line with the celebration of the Women’s Month.  (FREEMAN)