BFP mulls more fire stations in CV

CEBU, Philippines - The national government is eyeing for more fire stations in Central Visayas, said a fire bureau official.

Bureau of Fire Protection-7 regional director Senior Supt. Ma. Luisa Hadjula yesterday told reporters that she has recently conducted a survey of local government units in the region that have yet to establish their own fire stations.

“I was ordered by the DILG Secretary (Mar Roxas) and our national director to conduct this survey. I was given the list of municipalities which are the target of this program,” Hadjula explained.

Under the planned program, the Department of Interior and Local Government will finance P2 million for the construction of the fire station as well as providing one fire truck of 1,000 gallon capacity.

The LGUs, for their part, will have to donate at least 400 square meters of lot where the fire station will be constructed as well as fire truck with a capacity of 2,500 gallons.

“For the fire truck, the municipalities can get it from their disaster fund,” Hadjula stressed.

She added that the municipalities of Alcoy and Samboan in Cebu Province have signified strong interest in sealing this program.

“Most of the mayors I talked to over the phone were positive and said they are willing to donate the lot for the fire stations. Some said they will consult the Sangguniang Bayan to get the consensus before finally agreeing to take part in this program of the national government,” the BFP-7 chief explained.

The Local Government Code provides that each town and city must have their own fire station to competitively address fire alarms.

Of the total six component cities and 44 municipalities comprising Cebu province, data from BFP-7 showed that 13 towns have yet to establish their own fire stations.

These include Ronda, Alcantara, Alegria, Badian, Santander, Samboan, Alcoy, Asturias, Tabogon, Borbon, Pilar in Camotes Island, Sta. Fe and Madridejos in Bantayan Island.

Cebu province has a total of 37 fire stations and 73 fire trucks (58 serviceable, three for repair, and two beyond economical repair condition). —/GMR (FREEMAN)