Within hours after a four-story building collapsed in Porac, Pampanga last Monday, rescuers from different organizations began pouring into the area, armed with basic tools and state-of-the-art equipment and sniffing dogs.
The 6.1 magnitude earthquake – the strongest to hit Luzon since 1990 – shook buildings and forced workers to rush out of their offices.
Not everyone got out alive at the Chuzon Porac Supermarket. Many were trapped beneath the rubble.
Coming from 60 teams from various local governments, national agencies, and private organizations, the rescuers did not waste time looking for survivors and recovering bodies.
To ensure that work will be uninterrupted, they worked on shifts because they knew that they were racing against time.
“Walang tulugan dito. Pipikit ka lang 5 to 10 minutes malaking bagay na… wala ring food kaya hahanga ka sa mga rescuer,” said Senior Insp. Leah Sajili of the Bureau of Fire Protection-Special Rescue Unit.
But nothing can compare the feeling of satisfaction the rescuers have whenever they pull out someone from the rubble.
“Sa system na ginagawa namin, naka-integrated command system kami. We take instructions. Nagmi-meeting muna ang mga head and din-distribute kung ano ang mga responsibility kasi exhausting ang job,” Sajili said.
Before anything else, they conduct panelling first to determine if there are still signs of life at ground zero.
They use a life-detecting instrument that flashes a red light when it captures a human’s breath or body heat. And alongside it, K-9 units also go around the area to locate victims.
“May kable na ilalagay doon sa area na ihuhulog pababa…parang sa ultrasound, may wave at ipapakita niya kung hanggang saan makikita ang life,” Sajili said.
Once they verify that someone needs their help, the perilous rescue efforts begin.
The common rescue tools available include ropes, harness, carabiner, rescue 8, flat webbing, helmets, head lamps, basic life support, and first aid and trauma kits.
They carefully and slowly take away the debris to extricate the victims while boom cranes are installed from the roof to serve as support of the structure to prevent it from further collapsing.
In difficult conditions, the BFP-SRU enter the scene and use sophisticated equipment such as hydraulics, cutters, lifters, and hammers.
The hardest part of the job is to decide whether to amputate a limb to save the person, according to Sajili.
“Say for example yung debris na naka-cover malabo and may cause death. At times, the hardest decision is to amputate kasi imposible ng tanggalin,” she said. (Ria Fernandez)