As the country observes Fire Prevention Month, Senator Loren Legarda(Nationalist People’s Coalition) urged the public to develop a culture of safety and preparedness to help prevent the occurrence of fires and the disaster that might result from it.
Legarda said averting fires is no different from reducing and managing risks from natural hazards like typhoons and landslides since the key to both is awareness and being prepared.
She explained that families, aside from ensuring safety precautions that would prevent the occurrence of fires, should have their own “family disaster plan” to include fire alarms, fire escape routes and a regular fire drill for all household members, among other preventive measures.
“Prevention and awareness are our weapons that can avert man-made disasters and accidents. Gaya ng paghahanda natin sa bagyo, lindol at iba pang kalamidad, dapat maging mas handa tayo sa sunog dahil maaari itong mangyari sa araw-araw,” she pointed out.
This year’s Fire Prevention Month has the theme “Sunog at Sakuna Paghandaan; Kalikasan ay Pangalagaan nang Matamasa ang Pag-unlad ng Bayan.”
“I am glad that our fire officials have also recognized the importance of taking care of the environment in its fire prevention theme,” said Legarda as she also stressed the relevance of her nationwide disaster risk reduction (DRR) workshops, which aim to promote greater risk awareness in the communities and make the country more resilient to natural hazards.
Aside from conducting DRR worskshops, Legarda has been distributingDisaster Preparedness and First Aid Handbook, a manual that the Senate Committee on Climate Change, which she chairs, created with the help of various agencies of governments.
The handbook includes basic information on the causes, possible risks, what to do before, during, and after the occurrence of hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, tropical cyclones, flood, storm surges, thunderstorms, tornadoes, landslides, heat waves, structural collapses and fire.
