Mayors from Metro Manila are now in Los Angeles, California for a study tour facilitated by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon, in a Facebook post on Jan. 31, said they visited the Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center where they were given a briefing and orientation.
Metro Manila mayors including Mayor Ruffy Biazon and other local officials join study tour in Los Angeles, California (Photos from Mayor Biazon)
The mayors also visited the Los Angeles Fire Department where they observed urban search and rescue, and water search and training/simulation on collapsed structures.
“Interesting ang set up nila dito sa LA dahil under ng City Government ang kanilang Fire Department, at kasama din sa functions nila ang disaster preparedness and response (Their set up in Los Angeles is interesting because under the City Government is their Fire Department and included in their functions is disaster preparedness and response),” said Biazon.
Biazon also noted the LA Fire Department’s levels of activation at the Emergency Operations Center, where the response depends on the scale of ““emergency at disaster, while ensuring sufficient allocation of funding and resources for manpower/staffing, equipment and facilities being used.”
He said there are many best practices in Los Angeles that can be applied to Muntinlupa’s disaster preparedness and response.
Joining Biazon in the study tour are Muntinlupa Councilors Paty Katy Boncayao and Arlene Hilapo, Muntinlupa City Department of Disaster Resilience and Management head Erwin Alfonso and Planning Officer Alvin Veron.