Cebu Daily News, October 19, 2006
AN Air Force rescue helicopter on a routine maintenance flight showed its firefighting capability for the first time when fire hit an apartment building in Lapu-Lapu City.
Maj. Marciano Jesus Guevara and co-pilot Capt. Benjie Flores said they were five minutes into the flight when they saw smoke coming out of a building on Dimataga Street.
Guevara immediately brought his Bell Huey 205 helicopter to the Benito Ebuen Airbase and had a “bambi bucket” installed on the aircraft.
Within a few minutes, the chopper scooped water from the Mactan Channel, flew over the fire and dropped its water load, which was equivalent to around six barrels of water.
After one drop, the fire was already placed under control by the firefighters.
Fire investigator Atelano Berido said that with the help of the Air Force helicopter and the city fire department, the fire was placed under control in five minutes.
A rescue volunteer from the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (Eruf) was hurt when he was accidentally hit by a fire hose nozzle. Damage to property was estimated to be around P700,000.
Maj. Guevara said this was the first time that the rescue helicopter of the 505th Rescue Wing of the Air Force was used to respond to an emergency in Cebu.
The aircraft, however, had been used in many rescue and relief operations in other parts of the country.
“Hindi kasi alam ng mga Cebuanos na pwede kami, kaya mabuti na rin na malaman nila (The Cebuanos never knew we can do this, it's good that that they saw) that we can respond to all natural calamities or disaster,” he told Cebu Daily News.
