The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) have inaugurated a new fire sub-station in Pasig City hailed as a milestone in joint efforts to strengthen emergency response and promote public safety.
The Meralco rescue fire sub-station, located within the power distributor’s Ortigas headquarters, will serve as fire emergency response center, firefighter and rescue team training facility, and a direct BFP-to-Meralco system control line so that power is switched off in areas serviced by the distribution utility should these be hit by fire.
It will also house the Meralco Fire Brigade and its specialized equipment such as fire trucks, water tankers, rescue tenders, and rescue boats. The new sub-station complements the operations of BFP-Pasig and will serve not just the needs of Meralco but also the nearby cities of Pasig and Mandaluyong.
Pasig City District Representative Roman T. Romulo emphasized the importance of the partnership between the government and the private sector.
“This fire station, along with the fire trucks, is a big help to our district. We’d like to again thank Meralco, and we hope that you will never tire of helping and supporting the local and national government.”
“This will be of great help to the City of Pasig and the Bureau of Fire Protection,” concurred Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, adding that Meralco’s fire brigade team is already joining emergency response activities of BFP-Pasig.
Construction of the fire sub-station is aligned with the memorandum of agreement between Meralco and BFP through which they committed to organize, train, and operationalize a fire brigade team inside the Meralco Operating Center to help in immediately responding to fire incidents in the nearby communities and other slow-onset emergencies within Meralco’s franchise area. This will significantly contribute to the BFP reaching the firegrounds within the ideal response time of five to seven minutes.
“This represents the commitment of Meralco, an enduring commitment to service our community and our own people and this fire station as well as the Meralco Fire and Rescue Brigade is dedicated to the people of Pasig and the Meralco family,” Meralco President and CEO Ray C. Espinosa said.
