BFP implements “Oplan Paalaala” to public

by Gideon C. Corgue

PAGADIAN CITY,  December 26 (PIA) – With six (6) more days before  the New Year celebration, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) here continue to implement “Oplan Paalaala”, a regular program of the agency which reminds the public of their safety by encouraging them to use   horns (torotot) rather than pyrotechnics  and  firecrackers.

City fire marshall Sr. Inspector Rheno Cimafranca on Monday said the activity was conducted by their agency nightly around the city.

“We are doing ‘recorrida’ every night in the urban barangays to encourage the public to use horns in this holiday season instead of pyrotechnics and firecrackers saying that horns are good alternatives for firecrackers,” Cimafranca said. 

Cimafranca said the information campaign started on December 16 and will end on the 31^st this month.

“We were grateful that on the Christmas Eve no fire incidents and fireworks-related injuries were recorded by our office and the city police station. This is perhaps many people took heed of our campaign,”  Cimafranca reported. 

In the ‘recorrida’, Cimafranca said the ‘Oplan Paalaala’ team stressed the danger of lighting firecrackers not only to public safety but also to public health, adding that they also caused injuries and even deaths aside from destruction to property due to fire caused by firecrackers.

The fire chief is optimistic the public will continue to pay attention with the government’s repeated calls since every year more people are getting injured from firecrackers and pyrotechnics especially on the eve of December 31.  (NBE/GCC/PIA9-Pagadian)