By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

With the 2019-2020 academic year kicking off on Monday, June 3, the Bacolod City Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has begun inspecting boarding houses across the city.
BFP-Bacolod Fire Marshal, Fire Chief Inspector Publio Ploteña, said he has required all fire sub-station commanders in the city to submit a list of the boarding houses and dormitories they visited in their respective areas.
The BFP official also said, while this year’s “Brigada Eskwela” is being conducted, they have also taken the opportunity to inspect the schools and colleges in the city, along with surrounding establishments.
During inspections, they noted several violations by establishment owners such as those converting certain spaces in order to house tenants. BFP officials have also noticed a lack of fire exits, evacuation signage, and fire extinguishers.
Ploteña advised parents looking for dormitories to house their children to check if they are safe and if they have the necessary documentation such as business permits and fire inspection certificates./DGB, WDJ