By Perla Lena
ILOILO CITY – The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Iloilo is actively seeking alternative water sources in response to the dwindling water supply caused by the El Niño phenomenon.
According to Senior Fire Officer 3 (SFO3) Romelo Aguilar, the acting municipal fire marshal of the Zarraga Fire Station, they are urgently identifying potential sources to ensure uninterrupted operations, particularly during fire emergencies.
“Not only do we lack utility waters but also the sources of water supply in cases of fire incidents,” Aguilar said during the emergency meeting of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) at the Casa Real on Tuesday afternoon.
He said the main water source during fire incidents is the fire hydrant, with a capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute.
“In Iloilo, we don’t have that kind of hydrant,” he added.
The area with the utmost concern is the fifth district of Iloilo province because it has no water source and mostly relies on water drilling.
“Even our mainstream natural sources are also depleting so we focus on finding alternative sources because our main tool in firefighting is water, especially grass fire,” Aguilar said.
He said they will coordinate with local government units (LGUs) and water districts to help them with the concern.
Iloilo Board Member Rolando Distura said he already brought up these issues to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
He said the BFP has informed him that only 80 of their 91 firetrucks are serviceable, aside from the problem of lack of enough water sources.
“We have a resolution that we request water districts to improve their water sources for fire hydrants. As disaster managers, we have to look beyond the box, beyond the capacity and capability of our agencies and resources at hand,” he added. (PNA)
