The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Marinduque Provincial Statistical Office (PSO) recently hosted a Training Orientation on Basic First Aid Procedures and Fire Drill on  15 March 2024. This is in partnership with the Bureau of Fire Protection – Boac, as the BFP leads efforts to prevent fires, investigate their causes, and provide emergency services. The training was conducted to demonstrate PSA-Marinduque PSO's unity with the BFP and the entire nation in observing and promoting fire safety, preparedness, and resilience, especially during the Fire Prevention Month – March. With this training, the office demonstrates its commitment to safeguarding lives and property.

PSA-Marinduque invited representatives from the BFP Boac as discussants, which included Fire Officer 3 Donny Albert L. Ditan who discussed basic first aid procedures. He delved into details about the simple but important first aid procedures to follow when encountering unlikely events such as a broken leg, bleeding wounds, choking, among others, and how to handle them.   Also present was Fire Officer 1 Jayson B. Sasota who shared his knowledge about the Chemistry of Fire, discussing the components and elevations of fire, among other topics. The third representative was Fire Officer 1 Janet Q. Ollagangi who shared her expertise with fire extinguishers.

After the detailed discussions, a fire drill was conducted. Firstly, PSA-Marinduque PSO personnel were blindfolded, and whenever the siren sounded, they had to evacuate from their workstations. This was to ensure and measure the employees' familiarity with the office environment. Then, the actual use of fire extinguishers was demonstrated, and each employee was encouraged to participate in using fire extinguishers and applying the knowledge gained during the discussion to extinguish fires. The training concluded with the employees expressing their aim for more related training.

The BFP personnel were hoping that the knowledge will be shared with others as part of an awareness campaign not only during the month of March but on a periodic basis.

In her closing remarks, Senior Statistical Specialist Imelda M. Micaino emphasized that the BFP cannot tackle fire prevention alone; everyone must play his part. She added that the PSA is committed to work hand in hand, ensuring that every individual is equipped with knowledge on fire safety and preparedness.
 

(SGD)GEMMA N. OPIS
Chief Statistical Specialist
PSA PSO Marinduque

GNO/SJRDLC