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In its quest to keep all employees safe and well prepared for calamities, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) held its annual Fire and Evacuation Drill last April 27, 2018.

The drill allowed RAFI to not only comply with government regulations but to also spread awareness among RAFInians on proper safety procedures and precautions in case of fire, and to protect assets to ensure continuous operations.

It was also during the fire drill when pioneering members of RAFI’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) were commissioned into action. Each floor in the EADSC building has members assigned to the team, whose members serve as the key people in assisting fellow employees in times of emergency.

The actual drill started at around 2:50 p.m., when the alarm sounded off to indicate that there was a “fire emergency” in the building. When the Fire Suppression Team “failed” to contain the fire, employees were then told to vacate the premises, under the guidance of the assigned ERT floor marshals. The quick evacuation time, all done in five minutes and seven seconds, and presence of ERT medical team with emergency equipment and ‘grab bags’ earned the praise of the fire marshal observing the drill and evacuation procedures.

There was also an actual demonstration on how to properly use a fire extinguisher.

Prior to the actual drill and evacuation, a pre-drill seminar was conducted by FO3 Edelson Sarbida. He stressed on the importance of having an ERT in the workplace and a discussion on a more scientific and realistic approach to basic firefighting and proper crowd control.