Manila Bulletin, November 22, 2006
CALUMPIT, Bulacan — Residents here has expressed support for a proposal to deploy fire boats along Calumpit River in Calumpit, Bulacan whose narrow roads can not accommodate fire trucks.
The idea was broached by Van Resureccion, chairman of the Foundation For Filipino Fire Fighters (F-5), during a meeting with some prominent Calumpit residents especially those whose houses are situated at the river banks.
F-5 is a Caloocan City-based organization of active firefighters and private citizens which is dedicated to raising the "fire"consciousness" of the public.
"Roads in some barangays are too narrow for fire trucks raising the possibility that fires, if ever, could go out of control in some areas once they occur," the F-5 chairman said during a meeting with some residents in the area.
It was learned that a fire occurred in one those barangays a few years ago in which the difficulty of fire trucks reaching the fire scene was highlighted.
During the meeting, Resurreccion said that Calumpit River is actually a boon to the residents in case of fire as the river could become the fastest road to the fire scene.
Prominent residents present in the meeting readily agreed to his observation and the idea that river boats fitted with water pumps could be deployed in the river for that purpose.
Among those present in the meeting was former Calumpit mayor Monching Pagdanganan, who expressed his full support to the idea saying that it is high time that comprehensive fire-fighting system be implemented for the river bank barangays.
Pagdanganan, who is rumored to be running again in the next local elections, said that densely-populated river bank barangays constitute the bulk of the population of the town.
He also welcomed the proposal of F-5 saying that it could be replicated in other towns of the province which are in the path of the big Bulacan and Pampanga rivers.
For his part, Resureccion said that he will present the idea of fielding river boats for fire fighting purpose in those rivers with F-5 providing the technical know-how for the project.
