EL NIDO, Palawan – After two devastating fires in El Nido this year, a group of local volunteers has created the group El Nido Fire Volunteers aimed to help their community with the first response in case of fire emergencies by providing alternative solutions.
The group pulled together resources to help firefighters protect the tourist town the next time a fire breaks out. Tani Distal of Turtle Divers came up with the idea to buy high-powered water pumps and mount them on a floating platform.
Should a fire break out, the firefighting platforms are used to pull seawater out of the ocean to help fight the fire.
Pauline Gast of Fisheye Productions, one of the leads of this initiative said that it started after the second fire that happened in El Nido in August this year, “The last two fires were devastating and we would like this never to happen again.”
“Basically, we started talking on what we could do to get a faster response team in case of fire,” she said.
El Nido Fire Volunteers work hand in hand with the local government unit. Gast said that the town mayor will also get some new equipment for the municipality.
On Sunday, October 19, El Nido Fire Volunteers will hold a fire demonstration in front of Turtle Divers. Local businesses in El Nido are invited to have a look and see if they would like to invest in one.
Several businesses have already offered to buy and host a firefighting platform at their business. The price for a platform is P34,400 with some assembly needed.
During the fire demonstration, the proponents will demonstrate how a fire water pump works and the benefits of the equipment to the community.
The pumps are connected to the ocean on one side and to a fire hose on the other side, easily set up and can help with minimizing the first response in case of a fire emergency.
For further updates on this effort to support our local firefighters, visit and feel free to like the El Nido Fire Volunteers Facebook page.
