Agusan Sur town mobilizes motorcycles for swift rescue operations
By Kelvin Kennt R. Generalo
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur (PIA) — All-in-one rescue motorcycles designed for emergencies, such as fire incidents and situations requiring first aid, were officially turned over and mobilized to various barangays in the municipality of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, during a ceremony held at the municipal grounds on March 16.
A total of 22 First Aid Service Team (FAST) motorcycles—the first of their kind in the Caraga region—aim to provide immediate assistance to inner and far-flung barangays, especially in areas where the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has difficulty accessing due to distance and narrow roads.
The project is an initiative of BFP San Francisco and was funded by the local government unit (LGU) of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, through its peace and order fund.
Each motorcycle is equipped with a first-aid kit, siren, and two fire extinguishers to ensure quick and efficient emergency response.
“When we say there is already a fire, the window for us to respond becomes very small, so it only takes seconds or minutes for the flames to grow bigger,” said Grace Carmel Paredes-Bravo, mayor of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.
“The main purpose here in our municipality is that there are barangays which, when traveled from the fire station, take more than 10 minutes to reach. Because of this delay, by the time we arrive at the fire incident, there is often nothing left to save as everything has already been burned,” said Fire Senior Inspector Cypol Jay Inocente of BFP San Francisco.
“This is primarily intended for response to small-scale fires, meaning it serves as first aid during fire incidents and for medical emergency response, as it is equipped with first-aid kits,” he added.
Two responders from each barangay have been designated to manage the motorcycles. They also undergo training in firefighting, basic life support, and first aid from March 16 to 18 to ensure the proper and effective use of the equipment.
“To all responders who will operate these motorcycles, rest assured that BFP San Francisco will provide you with the appropriate training to ensure their proper use,” said Fire Senior Inspector Shirly Erlina, acting provincial fire marshal.
Barangay responders who received the motorcycles expressed their gratitude for the initiative, noting that it will significantly improve their capacity to respond quickly to fire incidents within their communities.
“On our part, we are thankful to be one of the recipients of this motorcycle, as it will help us respond more efficiently during rescue incidents and can be easily mobilized,” said Daniel Perez, barangay councilor of Brgy. Das-agan, San Francisco.
The LGU, in partnership with the BFP, aims to provide additional FAST motorcycles to the remaining five barangays to further expand emergency response services across the municipality.
“It is not only used during fire incidents, but it is also equipped with a siren that can be utilized by the Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO) during roving in their respective barangays,” Mayor Bravo added.
“To our barangays, we have provided this equipment, and our humble request is that you take good care of it, including the proper maintenance such as refilling fire extinguishers and replenishing first-aid kits,” she emphasized.
With the deployment of these FAST motorcycles, the municipality strengthens its commitment to faster, more accessible, and community-based emergency response, ensuring that even the most remote barangays are better prepared to handle fire and medical emergencies. (KKRG, PIA Agusan del Sur with the report of PTV Agusan del Sur)
