Save lives, stop prank calls – MDRRMO Kalibo

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Prank callers who contact emergency responders of Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) in Kalibo urged to refrain from making calls. 

                                  PHOTO CHRISTOPHER BENEDICTO

Municipal civil defense officer Terence June Toriano said the number of prank or fake calls is increasing and could affect emergency services from people who need help and in life-threatening situations.

“People just hung up their phone deliberately, call and disconnect it or stay silent. They also contact us to speak something that is not about an emergency,” he added.

MDRRMO Kalibo used 159 (Pantelco) and 262=8991 as hotline numbers for emergencies. Emergency assistance is also available at 09186312150 and 09078951984.

Toriano said ”for someone in trouble, the misuse of emergency numbers would mean the difference between life and death.”

Emergency personnel are trained to response on imminent threats to life, property or disaster. MDRRMO Kalibo recently dominated the Aklan Provincial Rescuelympics while its Special Operation Unit (SOU) won the Best Government Emergency Response Management (Advance search and rescue) category in the regional Gawad Kalasag (Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan, Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan).

The article was originally published by independent online blog Aklan Forum Journal. The unrestricted use in print or radio, publication and distribution of articles are allowed provided the original author and Aklan Forum Journal are credited.