Fire chief asks for new truck

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Fire Marshal William Tacaldo, through the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council, has requested Mayor Michael Rama to provide the City Fire Department with a huge fire truck equipped with pike ladders for high-rise building operations.

Tacaldo said their existing capability is only good for low-rise buildings because the Bureau of Fire Protection does not have the budget for it. He said the fire truck that he requested may cost over P10 million.

Aside from the expensive fire truck, Tacaldo is also requesting some rescue tools and other equipment for the motor pool to be used in the maintenance of their fire truck.

 According to Tacaldo, Eight of their fire trucks are still unserviceable leaving only about 10 fire trucks available for dispatch during fire fighting operations. Fortunately, there are other fire trucks owned by some barangays and private companies, aside from those owned by the Filipino-Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade. – (FREEMAN)