The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Western Visayas has developed a mobile application that will allow the public to easily report a fire incident, enabling the fire fighters to promptly respond to the fire scene.
“Fire Out 6”, a technological breakthrough of the BFP-6, was launched on Aug. 29 during its 28th founding anniversary and 118th years of fire service in a hotel resort in this city’s Jaro district.
Senior Supt. Roderick Aguto, BFP-6 regional director, said the fire bureau took technological advancement a tool to forward BFP’s campaign for a fire-safe nation.
“We are maximizing the technology to allow faster response of the BFP,” he said in an interview.
“Fire Out 6” is a downloadable application that features the directory of fire stations all over the region, BFP news, citizen’s charter, fire safety tips and first aid tips.
A special feature “Respond on your report” allows the public to take a photo of an ongoing fire incident.
The mobile application is available in Play Store and can be downloaded to Android phones. The user must first log in with his or her mobile number to start using the application.
Through the application, the photo will be transmitted to the command center, the fire will be located through Google maps and therefore, can be promptly responded to by the BFP.
“For instance, you will send a photo to us, it will go to our command center and we will know your location through the map. From there, we will alert our people in your location and we can respond immediately,” Aguto said.
On the other hand, the public may also browse the directory and directly contact the nearest fire station.
Aguto said the BFP-6 is “already working” with the application since he was assigned as regional director on June this year.
“The application is a big help to us. The work of the fire fighters is to wait for fire incidents. Most of the time, they accuse us of being late but it is always a question of when we have received the fire report,” he said.
He added that the BFP cannot anticipate where and when the fire will occur and thus it needs the cooperation of the public for immediate response.
Meanwhile, Nestor Quinsay Jr., undersecretary for public safety of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), has lauded BFP-6 for developing such application.
Quinsay was the guest of honor and speaker during the BFP-6’s anniversary program.
In an interview in the sidelines of the program, Quinsay hoped for the support of the public for the newly launched mobile application “because it will help on public safety.”
He said he will recommend the development of mobile application like the “Fire Out 6” in other regions.”
“I just saw this application and I will be recommending other regions to follow this kind of innovation that was done by Region 6,” he said. PNA
