Mandaue City Fire Station celebrates Fire Prevention Month 2016 at Parkmall

Fire Prevention Month 2016 start of the program

March 7, 2016 at ParkMall Mandaue City Cebu. Mandaue City Fire station in cooperation with city government of Mandaue opens the month long ceremony at Parkmall Mandaue with the theme, "Kaalaman at pagtutulungan ng sambayanan. Kaligtasan sa sunog ay makakamtan." ("Knowledge and cooperation of the people . Safety fire is achieved." - Google Translated).

Introduction speech and welcoming of participants

As part of the ceremony, they also have an on-the-spot drawing ang essay writing contest. The annual observance is based on Presidential Proclamation 115-A issued on November 17, 1966. This initiative, according to the proclamation, propagates "safety consciousness among our people every day of the year as a positive preventive approach to a problem that can be solved by more caution, vigilance, sobriety, exercise of common sense and respect for the law."

The fire marshall joining the event

Now let's be educated about Fire Prevention.

The main causes of fires are:

• Deliberate fire raising (usually involving children or young adults and combustible waste which has been put out for disposal);
• Discarded smoking materials;
• Electrical faults;
• Portable heaters;
• Cooking (which has been left unattended);
• Contractor operations (such as welding and other hot works);
• Laboratory experiments using highly flammable materials.

Photo from the Office of the BFP Public Information Services Facebook page

What to do if you discover a fire?

The following four points will likely be familiar to everyone. However it is the order in which they are listed which is important. There is only one way to respond to a fire and this requires the following actions in the following order:

1. Sound the fire alarm;
2. You or a colleague should call the fire and rescue service and report the exact position of the fire;
3. Tackle the fire, but only if it is safe to do so, do not take personal risks;
4. Leave the building, report to the person in charge and tell then what happened.

Photo from the Office of the BFP Public Information Services Facebook page

What to do if you hear the fire alarm?

If you hear the alarm you should always assume that there is a fire somewhere in the building.

1. Commence evacuating the building;
2. Warn others in the vicinity
3. Close any doors behind you;
4. Go to the assembly point.

Photo from the Office of the BFP Public Information Services Facebook page

How to fight a small fire?

• All buildings have foam and carbon dioxide extinguishers. Areas of special risk have dry powder and other types of extinguisher. Some areas also have water extinguishers.
• WARNING - do not use foam or water on electrical fires. Carbon dioxide extinguishers are provided for this purpose. A fire needs a source of heat, fuel and oxygen to start. Preventing these components coming together in an uncontrolled manner prevents fires starting. Removing one of the components will result in the fire being extinguished. This is the basis on which fire extinguishers work.
• In fighting a small fire, if you have any doubts about your personal safety or if you lack confidence in using an extinguisher, leave the fire and GET OUT and STAY OUT (and remember to close the door behind you).