Around 200 children in Batangas City ages 10 to 12 years old and 14 to 16 years old learned about fire safety and disaster preparedness in the recent two-day Shell Junior Fire Marshal (JFM) Camp.

The JFM Camp is part of the Shell JFM Programme conducted by Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc. (PSFI) and the BFP. Now on its fourth year, the camp catered to an even wider youth base in Batangas City through its strong partnership with the local government, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

“Batangas City has recorded zero fire incidents as of March to April 2015. Such achievement has been possible through the help of our young fire marshals,” said BFP Fire Supt. Romel Tradio. He cited that the Shell JFM Programme is the only one of its kind in CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) which teaches kids the basics of fire safety through fun games and outdoor activities.

Aside from fire safety, students also learned basic first aid with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), various emergency procedures, basic electrical connections, disaster preparedness and basic search and rescue, among others.

Armed with new skills, the young fire marshals are expected to conduct fire safety inspections, identify safety hazards and raise fire safety consciousness among their peers in school, among family members at home and among neighbors in their community.

“This is my first time to attend the Shell Junior Fire Marshal Camp and this is unlike any. I will share and apply all the things I learned in this programme and will encourage more of my classmates to join the camp,” said Joshua Pagaspas, a Grade 10 student of Batangas National High School.

To date, close to 4,000 school-age children have been equipped with knowledge in fire safety and emergency response as part of their training under the Shell JFM Programme in Batangas. The initiative is in line with Shell’s orientation toward capacity-building and social investment in the communities it operates in, including other socio-civic aspects such as road safety, livelihood, education, arts and sports, and many more.