ROSALES, Pangasinan – Catherine Garcia, SM City Rosales Assistant Mall Manager, reiterate during the Fire and Earthquake Drill.
Over 200 employees, tenants, security, and janitorial agency personnel of SM City Rosales participated the drill last March 17. As the drill started, everyone observed the duck, cover, and hold on. Everyone rushed to the open area before the aftershocks strike.
The mall emergency response group immediately performed their duties. The security and control team directly lead the crowd to the nearest exit going to an open area. Emergency agencies were then contacted by the communication team for assistance.
The firefighting team respond immediately to combat the fire that occur inside the establishment, they were simultaneously assisted by the engineering team who shuts the power off of the area affected by fire. The rescue and evacuation team properly evacuates those that were trapped inside the building and rescued the injured. The medical team applied first aid treatment to the victims and supervises the transport of the patients to the hospitals.
Bureau of Fire Protection Inspector Eric Niňalga commended the malls emergency response group in handling disaster situation. He further said that with more drills and practice, efficiency in disaster management will be achieved.
The fire and earthquake preparedness and evacuation drill is one of the annual activities conducted by the mall to freshen-up the responsibilities of each member of the Emergency Response Group and to equip the mall employees with skills that they can use during fire and earthquake incidents. The SM chain of malls around the country maintains a program to ensure responsiveness and the ability to deal with certain calamities in all its branches.
The drill was held together with the local police, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Rosales Municipal Disaster and Coordinating Council lead by retired major Juanito Dela Cruz; Red Cross Pangasinan Chapter senior instructor George Liquiran; Marcelo H. Chan Memorial Hospital Emergency Team and Philippine National Police(PNP) headed by Sr. Police Inspector William Nerona.
The activity is also conducted in support for Fire Prevention Month with the theme “Kaalaman at pagtutulungan ng sambayanan, kaligtasan sa sunog ay makakamtan.”
By Roselle Gale