MAASIN CITY-In light with the recent happening in Mindanao, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Maasin City Fire Station’s Special Rescue Unit (SRU) deployed immediately special forces to the province of Cotabato which was devastated by earthquakes, Fire Officer III Raul A. Inocando reported.
After a week of retrieval and rescue operations, from October 31-November 7, this year, BFP Maasin City Fire Station staff and personnel led by CInsp Dorotheo Claro A. Mocorro gave a warm welcome to the eight SRU personnel who were with the team, bringing with them experiences encountered in the earthquake-stricken parts of the Cotabato, particularly in the municipality of Makilala, Inocando disclosed.
The SRU-Maasin City personnel provided aid in the retrieval and rescue operations of the victims of the quakes, transported valuable things and their belongings for their safety, including airlifting of residents residing in areas that were not passable.
“There are some barangays of Makilala town that are impassable due to landslides which were caused by the recent earthquake,” Fire Officer I Ramonito C. Abadiano II, one of the members of the BFP-SRU in Maasin City, said.
The Maasin City team were among the contingents from the provinces in Eastern Visayas region that were also sent to help the quake victims, he added.
Relief, rescue operations and forced evacuations were some of the works the BFP special rescue personnel did during the week-long mission, he said.
The BFP-SRU Maasin City team were composed of Fire Officers II Jerome Tantoy and Jaime P. Navos Jr., Fire Officers I Mark Jimmy B. Maceda, Jesus S. Kimpan Jr., Erwin N. Erquilang, Jonathan Q. Clerigo, Renel F. Aroy and Abadano II. The team was led by SInsp. Jimmy C. Pasague.
It was learned that Makilala town, in Cotabato was one of the areas hit by the 6.5 magnitude earthquake last October 31, this year. It caused massive landslides and flattened hundreds of houses and structures.
After the Mindanao task, the 8 SRU personnel to include all other SRUs in EV were given recognition by the BFP-8 in an awarding and honoring ceremony held at BFP Regional Office 8, November 11, 2019.
They were awarded with “Medalya ng Pagtulong sa Nasalanta” under the Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) for actively taking part in the search and rescue operations in Mindanao.
(e/rgc/PIA8-SoLeyte)
