The local government of Pasig City on Thursday, June 20, inaugurated a new dry standpipe system at Caparas Compound in Barangay San Miguel, Pasig City, to ensure the community’s safety against fire incidents.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, along with other city government officials, led the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly installed dry standpipe.
“Sana ay h'wag magamit ang standpipe, pero mabuti na po 'yung handa tayo kaysa naman po mabigla tayo isang araw. Mabuti na po 'yung handa tayo na kung sakali man magkaroon ng sunog ay hindi na ito lumaki at maagapan ito at magawan kaagad ng paraan ng mga bumbero (Even though we installed dry standpipes here, we are still praying that they will not be used, however it is better to be prepared than to be surprised one day. If there is a fire, it will help prevent it from spreading and allow firefighters to act quickly and extinguish it),” Sotto said.
Chief Operations Officer of Pasig City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO) Ronald Galicia said the standpipe system is also part of the city's disaster preparedness project, especially in areas that can not be accessed by fire trucks, such as narrow streets, alleys, and lanes.
“So sa pamamagitan po ng dry standpipe na ‘to, malaking tulong po Ito. Yung tinatawag nilang siamese twins, doon po isinasaksak 'yung hose na galing po sa firetruck at doon po manggagaling 'yung tubig at lalabas po rito sa mga nakalatag na fire cabinets of fire hose (This dry standpipe is a significant help. They call it siamese twins, the part of the system where hoses from fire trucks are being connected to, supplying water to cabinets of fire hose strategically placed around the area),” he said.
“It was situated 100 feet away. Talagang naka-strategic location po ‘yan na magkaka-overlapping para kahit saan man ang sunog mangyari, eh magagamit po natin 'yung mga hoses na ‘yan. Nakalatag po siya [hoses] in such a way na kahit saang kanto po ay p'wedeng maapula ang apoy (The standpipe was situated 100 feet apart. They are in strategic locations so no matter where a fire occurs, we can use the hoses to extinguish it),” Galicia added.
Vice Mayor Dodot Jaworski said that 15 fire hose cabinets were installed in the compound, protecting over 400 families from potential fire incidents.
He urged residents to take care of the system, as they are the ones who will benefit from it.
“Makikiusap lang po ako dahil mayroon na po kaming na-install na ganiyan sa ibat-ibang lugar, minsan 'yung ibang mga bata pinaglalaruan, minsan nababasag o nasisira. Yung iba pinag-iinteresan pa 'yung bakal-bakal. Tandaan po natin kapag ‘yan po ay nasira at may sunog dito, pamilya po ninyo ang masasaktan kaya sana pagsabihan natin 'yung mga bata na alagaan po natin ang mga ito dahil ito ay para sa kaligtasan ng bawat isa sa atin dito sa inyong lugar (I ask everyone to please take care of this system. We have installed similar systems in other areas, and sometimes children play with them, causing damage. Some people even steal parts. Remember, if it is damaged and a fire occurs, your family will be in danger. Please talk to the children about taking care of this equipment because it is for everyone's safety,” the vice mayor said.