Be on guard for more fires due to El Niño

With temperatures expected to sour during the prevalence of the El Niño phenomenon, the Quezon City Office of Building Official (OBO) was asked to accurately determine if the schools, dormitories, universities, commercial establishments and similar structures are complying with the fire safety regulations.

In preparation for possible disasters, Councilors Ranulfo Ludovica, Eufemio Lagumbay, Jesus Manuel Suntay and Victor Ferrer Jr. stressed that the city and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) should leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all structures in the city are not fire hazards.

The councilors noted that preparations should be undertaken early with the unpredictable climate in the metropolis.

Ludovica said the fire bureau and the OBO should vigorously conduct regular inspections to give building administrators adequate time to comply with the fire safety requirements.

“It is important for the establishment owners to immediately correct the deficiencies that may be discovered by the inspection teams. We should remember that El Niño is coming,’’ Ludovica said.

Ferrer reminded the city building official personnel to strictly check establishments, especially gasoline depots and factories storing highly flammable materials like foam, tires, rubber and similar materials.

“Any structure or establishment without the mandatory fire safety requirements and in clear violation of the Fire Code of the Philippines and the authority of the BFP must be charged in the proper court.” Ferrer said.

Common fire safety violations include the no secondary exit; no wet standpipe system; no standard fire exit or fire doors are not provided with self-closing mechanism; no extension of fire escape to ground floor or corridors, walls, ceiling and openings are of light wooden materials; defective manual fire alarm; no smoke and heat detector; and inadequate battery operated emergency light.