Calizo cmte tackles proposal to conduct fire safety audit in malls

THE City Council committee on police, fire and public safety chaired by Councilor Romeo V. Calizo discussed the proposal of Councilor Edna M. Dahino during the Regular Session on January 15, 2018 for the conduct of a Fire Safety Audit inspection of all the malls in the city.

She said this is to determine whether the Fire Code is strictly being implemented and to ascertain the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) of the workers.

The purpose of the meeting, which was attended by representatives of the Cagayan de Oro Fire District, Office of the Building Official (OBO) and Councilor Dahino, is to prevent and protect workers from fire incidents especially in malls of the city as what transpired last year in the cities of Davao and Cebu.

Councilor Calizo said the meeting was also called to determine the main causes of this kind of tragedy and to identify who shall be held responsible for these lapses, whether the government or the mall owners themselves, and to create a Fire Safety Audit Inspection team, if necessary.

INSPECTION

A representative of the CDO Fire District informed the committee that as early as January 3 of this year, an annual massive inspection was already conducted in all malls and high rise buildings in the city. The corresponding reports were submitted to different departments of the city government that are responsible for the processing and issuance of business permits to these malls.

“Mag submit ko copy sa inyo, tanan nga malls diri karon sa Cagayan de Oro human na ug inspection and most of these malls pwerteng daghana ug fire safety violations ug nagpasalamat kami karon kay naay intervention sa LGU tungod kay kami sa among office gusto namo moapil ang LGU pag penalize para i-comply nila ang mga requirements,” he suggested.

He said some malls refuse to follow the Fire Code, which requires that all the Fire Protection System (sprinkler and fire detection and alarm systems) should be integrated in the whole building. This violation is still being committed despite the numerous demands and notices issued by their office, he reported.

“Dili nila i-integrate ilang fire alarm system because of the minor fault of the mall will trigger the alarm switch ug maka hamper sa ilang operations, so mao na ilang rason na ilang gi-separate ang ilang system bisan unsaon namo ug hatag ug demand letter and also the penalties for this and other violations were just being paid by these malls to continue with their operations,” the representative lamented.

Noting this and other issues, a suggestion was raised to impose stiffer fines and penalties for the said violation and other related offenses.

Councilor Dahino stressed the need for the conduct of periodic or surprise inspections of malls in the city. She said the attention of agencies and various departments of the city government involved in the issuance of business permits to these malls should be called regarding the violations.

The councilor is encouraging concerned agencies to have constant and proper communication to come up with better solutions and to prevent the occurrence of similar tragic incidents in the city.

Another round of discussion on the matter will take place anytime next week. (JAO)