Help Response Fire Volunteer Continue Their Fight
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We hope you are all doing well. We are the Response Fire Volunteer from Manila, Philippines. In our community's recent October 2023 local election, a new barangay captain emerged victorious. As a result, she has mandated the turnover of the two fire trucks to her administration. Having served with Pumper Fire Truck 1 for 15 years, we have consistently provided commendable services throughout this extended period. This situation arose due to political differences. During that time, we found ourselves as firefighters without fire trucks. However, we persevered and continued to serve and assist the community by acquiring a second-hand mini tanker. Previously, we have initiated a fundraising campaign to secure a new fire truck, essential for our firefighting and emergency response efforts. While we successfully acquired the truck through an installment plan on November 12, 2023, we now seek your support to settle the remaining balance and to ensure ongoing assistance for our daily firefighting needs. Our team was founded in 2003 and we’re still doing our best to provide a healthier and safer community to our locale. We are a self-supporting volunteer fire brigade and through the help of generous people around us, we can continue our operations despite financial constraints. The team has been through a lot, but throughout the years, we are proud of what we started. We may not be a rich volunteer brigade, but we are not planning to stop doing the things that molded RFV into what it is now; The projects and campaigns that benefited our community, the awards and achievements of the team, and most of all, saving lives and property. We are looking forward to acquiring a new fire truck for us to continue our fight and spread fire safety. Thank you in advance for your donation to our team, any amount is a great help not only to the team but to the areas nearby. By helping us, you are also helping them
Here is a brief history of our team and how it came to be. From a humble community that promotes citizens to help one another, to a volunteer fire brigade that helped the community fight fires and kept it safe since then. You are not only helping the team by donating, but are also going to be a part of a family that looks after each other and we would like to welcome you to the team by sharing our story.
Before Response Fire Volunteer, the team is initially known as RCBSJ or Responsible Citizens of Barangay San Jose, a local community in Mandaluyong, Philippines that aims to create a healthy atmosphere among citizens residing in the said area. The group was formed in March 2003 and was headed by our now Fire Chief Harold Reyes.
RCBSJ conducted several projects back then, but the notable ones are the installation of fire extinguishers, road humps, water drums for bucket relays in case of fire, clean and green movements, and a lot more. The group became a testimony of what can be achieved when the people within the community are working together towards a common goal, a healthier and safer community.
RCBSJ became more inclined to Fire and Rescue when the team started joining the local inter-barangay Fire-related competition or as we call it “Fire Olympics” where teams from different barangays within the same city compete against each other thru fire related scenarios and obstacles.
RCBSJ was invited to Malacanang by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and we took the opportunity to express our interest in further focusing on fire and rescue by writing a letter requesting a small fire truck. Unfortunately, there were no available units for us back then. Given that, our team decided to request fire hydrant installation in our area through the office of the Mayor so we can continue our advocacy in making the community a safer place. The team continued doing good work for the community as well as joining the annual Fireolympics.
Through the combined efforts of RCBSJ and the local government, 4 fire hydrants were finally installed in our area. Up to this day, the said hydrants are deemed beneficial to the safety of the community since a lot of fires are happening within and nearby areas.
Our team continued acting upon fire and rescue and for the first time, we became Champions of the Fire Olympics 2007. It was a great feat for a team of volunteer firefighters without proper training and complete equipment.
All of our hard work paid off when a Pumper Fire Truck was donated to the team. It was then that RCBSJ became RFV or Response Fire Volunteer. We were able to respond to fires in nearby areas and some instances of responding to fires and calamities outside our area of responsibility. The same year, we also joined one of the biggest groups of volunteer firefighters here in the Philippines, TXTFIRE PH.
RFV continued to grow as a volunteer fire brigade and in 2011, we won the Inter-Barangay Fire Olympics as Grandslam Champion for being the champs for 3 consecutive years. It’s one of the best achievements of the team up to this day.
Aside from the local inter-barangay fire Olympics, we also joined the TXTFIRE Olympics in which the groups involved are Fire Brigades all over the county and we became Champions in one of the events. It was a great honor to bring to our Barangay and also the experience and knowledge that we came across further enhancing our skills as volunteer fire fighters.
Water crisis hit Metro Manila and RFV were able to help communities even from outside of our area of responsibility. Working almost 24/7 just to ration water to different communities, proving that firefighters can also fight emergencies and crises.
The pandemic hit on a global scale and the team continued to serve the community by conducting weekly misting operations, serving as front-liners, and responding to fire and emergency calls. The team, continued the goal we initially started, aiming for a healthier and safer community.
A new team assembled by our barangay captain now operates our beloved response pumper.
While Response Pumper 1 is no longer in our possession, the lessons learned and memories created with Pumper 1 will forever remain ingrained in our team.
You may check our social media channels below:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/responsefire
Organizer
David Earl Mathurin
Organizer
Toronto, ON
