Total sparks fire safety know-how of Cavite residents

MANILA, Philippines – Total (Philippines) Corp., in cooperation with Water and Life Philippines (W&L Phils.), Tubig Pag-Asa (TPA) and TxtFire Philippines Foundation, has beefed-up the safety know-how of Cavite residents to help decrease the incidences of fire in heavily populated areas, such as Barangay Manggahan in Kawit.

 

Jones Lim fr. TxtFire Phils. showing how a Class D fire looks like

Manggahan councilor Carmelita Roño said that because of the development of subdivisions and communities around them, their barangay was pushed away from the main road, with only narrow alleys to connect them to the rest of Kawit. This left all residents’ properties burnt to the ground when the area was ravaged by fire in 2005.

“Fire incidents such as the one experienced by Manggahan residents in 2005 serve as a harsh lesson in terms of fire preparedness. With March being Fire Prevention Month, we took the opportunity to educate the people and spread the word about safety so residents in communities like Manggahan know the basics of fire safety,” said Emmanuel Monsalud, Total Health Safety Environment Security Manager.

Total Philippines emphasized the need to draw up a contingency plan and hold regular drills. “In line with this commitment, we engaged in capacity-building for residents and turned over ten fire extinguishers to help Barangay Manggahan establish its own fire brigade, which should be a common practice to all communities,” added Monsalud.

TxtFire Philippines Foundation, a non-profit organization that disseminates fire alerts through SMS, taught residents the basics on firefighting, from unrolling and maintaining fire hoses to working and maintaining fire extinguishers.

Water and Life Philippines and Tubig Pag-Asa, on the other hand, taught residents on how to be self-sufficient through lectures on health, environment, and public sanitation.

“We are thankful for this seminar because it has taught us to prepare for fire incidents that may occur in the future,” concluded Roño.

“More underserved communities are in need of both equipment and skills for fire fighting and prevention. We hope that this collaborative effort between Total, TxtFire, W&L, and Tubig Pag-Asa was able to make a difference at least in the lives of Manggahan residents,” said Monsalud.