In observance of the National Disaster Consciousness month which carries the theme: “Kahandaan at Kaligtasan ng Pamayanan, Pundasyon ng Kaunlaran,” the DSWD-NCR, in partnership with Bureau of Fire Protection, held an earthquake drill at the Field Office yesterday. The objective of this drill, which took four (4) minutes and 23 seconds, is to increase the capacities of Field Office staff to respond to possible disaster and its adverse effects. The disaster drill is the second for 2014, the first being a fire drill conducted last April.
An earthquake evacuation simulation was first conducted to determine the alertness of the employees. This replication tested the Field Office’s security protocol and emergency alarm systems. The activity also aimed to educate the staff of the “buddy-system” and the possible evacuation areas within the Field Office.
The second activity was a brief demonstration on evacuation of an unconscious victim and familiarization on the proper use of fire extinguisher. On the rescue demonstration, members of the BFP – Tanduay instructed that the rescuer should practice caution when approaching an unconscious victim. Among others, when evacuating the unconscious victim, consider his/her weight. If the person is light, you can lift the person by placing your arms under the victim’s arms to prevent bone fracture. If the person is heavy, you may place him/her on any material available like blankets and slowly drag the person to a safe place.
During the orientation, Senior Fire Inspector Jerry Juico of BFP-Tanduay station said that there are specific types of fire extinguishers for different causes of fire. Those marked with letter ‘A’ are for fire from combustible materials, while those marked with letter ‘B’ are for fire caused by oil or flammable materials, and those marked with letter ‘C’ are for fire made from electrical or energized sources.
During the demonstration on how to manage fire, an older person volunteered to put out the man-made flames. He is Jolito Basilio, 63 years old from Barangay 666, Ermita, Manila. When asked why he volunteered on the said demo, he said “ito ay isang ehemplo upang lahat ng senior citizens na kaya pang tumulong ay pwedeng gawin para sa kaligtasan ng pangkalahatan mula sa kalamidad.” ###