RODRIGUEZ, Rizal - Disaster management is now included in this town's top priority list as the local government here has mobilized its rescue personnel and emergency equipment in case of another disaster similar to last year's "Ondoy." This came as Mayor Cecilio C. Hernandez strengthened the capability of the local rescue personnel in responding to emergency calls by providing an additional fire truck and truck man-lifter to augment its rescue equipment as well as rigid trainings that will make every rescue workers disaster-ready on a round-the-clock basis.
During the recent flag-raising rites at the municipal grounds here, Hernandez accepted the donation of one unit of fire truck and one unit of truck man-lifter from the Montalban Aggregate Producers Association, Inc. (MAPA), a group of Rodriguez-based companies that deals with quarrying, crushing and milling of raw materials that are later on used for building, roadway and other construction purposes. "These (rescue vehicles) will boost our municipality's ability to respond to emergency situations and calamities alike," Hernandez said. MAPA President Rolando T. Angeles personally handed over the keys of the rescue and firefighting vehicles to Hernandez, who is known in the town as a man of the masses. Angeles said the donation is part of their association's corporate responsibility to promote environmental protection and is also in compliance with the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program (EPEP). Apart from the additional rescue and firefighting equipment, the local government has sent its rescue volunteers and workers to a rigid two-day risk reduction management seminar and contingency planning.
