OCD-Davao advocates for community fire brigades

AN OFFICIAL from the Office of Civil Defense-Davao Region (OCD-Davao) underscored the necessity of establishing community fire brigades as part of their community intervention strategy.

Ednar Dayanghirang, regional director of OCD-Davao, highlighted during the Kapehan sa Dabaw held on Monday morning, March 18, 2024, at SM City Davao, the significance of these fire brigades in enhancing disaster response capabilities, given their proximity to the communities they serve.

He elaborated the ongoing coordination efforts with Barangay 76-A, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), Davao City Water District (DCWD), and the Bureau of Fire Protection-Davao Region (BFP-Davao) to develop plans for implementing community fire brigades.

“In OCD, engaging the communities dili lang [not only] earthquake but all the hazards, so that’s why we are doing a sectoral approach in our work,” he said.

Dayanghirang outlined the process of dividing communities into blocks, with DCWD responsible for providing fire hydrants and OCD-Davao for training and supplying hoses to the community brigades, considering the estimated cost of P37,000 for a 50-meter hose.

He also said that in cases where DCWD cannot provide hydrants, OCD-Davao would facilitate the provision of pumps to extract water from nearby sources such as the sea or rivers.

“So we will design what is desired per community— pag maganda na ang model i-replicate natin yan sa other communities and convince the mayors and local chief executives na himuon natu na sa ilang community (We will tailor the design to meet the specific needs of each community. Once a successful model is established, we aim to replicate it in other communities, garnering support from mayors and local chief executives),” he said.

The brigade will consist of a team of seven, similar to a fire team in a fire truck, ensuring prompt fire suppression activities within the community in the event of a fire outbreak. Unlike conventional firefighters stationed at fire stations, these brigades will be stationed within their respective communities.

Dayanghirang emphasized the importance of fostering the Filipino Bayanihan spirit, emphasizing that volunteers will not receive incentives.

“We are doing that as a matter of strategy for all hazards dili lang ang [not only] earthquakes,” he said.

He highlighted the holistic approach being adopted, incorporating both institutional and sectoral approaches in addressing community calamities. /