Fire olympics held

• Source: http://palawan-news.com/fire-olympics-held/
• Monday, September 18, 2017

By Hanna Camella Talabucon

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Palawan Region conducted its 4th Provincial Fire Olympics designed at reinforcing barangay fire brigade and volunteers as force multipliers and to prepare representatives in the upcoming Regional Fire Olympics on October 11.

“Ang mga magcha-champion sa provincial fire olympics ng bawat probinsya ng MIMAROPA ay maglalaban-laban para sa Regional Fire Olympics, at dito ang venue. Ang mananalo naman dun, magko-compete sa national fire Olympics representing MIMAROPA region, “Senior Inspector Herald Castillo, acting Palawan fire marshal said.

Castillo said the fire Olympics started in the municipality of Narra in 1999. The municipality has been holding its own fire Olympics annually to conduct yearly fire training and exercises for their barangay volunteers and student brigades and capacitate them with first-aid knowledge and skills.

“Sinuportahan kasi ito ng pamahalaang lokal ng Narra kaya nagtuloy-tuloy yan. So nakita ito ng dating regional director natin na si Supt. Normante Piñon na maganda ang outcome. Hanggang sa nagtuloy-tuloy ito sa MIMAROPA kung kaya nung maging chief of plans and program officer siya ng buong BFP Pilipinas, ini-schedule niya ito,” Castillo said.

“Sinadya niya na ito ay magsimula sa mga barangay, munisipyo, provincial hanggang sa matupad into regional and then makarating ng national level,” he added.

The event was held earlier at Puerto Princesa Baywalk and was attended by over 100 participants coming from different industrial and barangay sectors from six municipalities in Southern Palawan divided by two categories – industrial which is joined by various mining sectors including Rio Tuba Nickel Corporation, Coral Bay Nickel Corporation, Citinickel Mining Corporation and Berong Nickel Mining Corporaton all located in the South, and barangay category, mostly represented by barangay representatives coming from municipalities such as Narra, Brookes Pt., Quezon, Rizal and Bataraza.

The teams competed and went through multiple events such as rescue and transfer relay operation, combination of busted hose and up-the ladder, flammable liquid fire extinguisher, bucket relay and hose laying and replacement of busted hose.

The team who applied the best strategy in the least amount of time was declared winner.

Castillo said they are hoping that barangay fire brigades and volunteers will annually cooperate with their mission to add more people to join this kind of activities to test their capabilities and train them with the skills of a real fire-fighter which they may need in the future. He also added that BFP Palawan is in need of more aspiring fire-fighters who they might hire in the future.

“Layunin naming maka-hikayat ng maraming fire brigades na sumali sa mga ganitong kompetisyon. Na mahasa sila sa skills ng totoong fire-fighter,” Castillo said.

Castillo also encouraged Palaweños especially new graduates to apply as fire fighters in the BFP Palawan region.

“Hihingian lang namin kayo ng application letter kung gusto niyo mag-volunteer pero mas maganda kung papasok na lang kayo sa serbisyo. Basta graduate kayo ng any 4-year degree at meron kayong professional elegibility such as civil service or board passer, madali kayong makakapasok,” Castillo said.