BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – There’s a dearth of fire stations in the northern part of this city.
Most are concentrated in the southern area, acknowledged the city fire marshal, Fire Chief Inspector Rodel Legaspi.
He vowed to address the disparity. More fire stations would be opened in the northern part of the city.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) capped the month-long observance of the Fire Prevention Month here yesterday morning with a pledge to expand its service.
Among the fire stations in the southern part of Bacolod City are the Rodriguez sub-fire station, Sum-ag sub-fire station, Libertad Fire Station, the Granada sub-fire station, the Pahanocoy sub-fire station, and the Mansilingan sub-fire station.
Two auxiliary fire units – the Taculing and the newly-created Handumanan fire auxiliary unit – are also located in the southern part of the city.
The closest fire station to the northern part of the city is the Lopez Jaena Fire Station, near the Burgos Public Market.
Legaspi said they are hoping to find a suitable location, preferably a donated land, where they could base their firefighting equipment.
“Kun may ara deed of donation, we can then program funds para sa construction sang fire station sa north side,” Legaspi said.
Having fire stations in areas near barangays Bata and Mandalagan will cover their firefighting capabilities more efficiently, he stressed.
Aside from the additional fire stations, Legaspi is also enticing barangays to invest in their own fire trucks and other firefighting equipment, as well as setting up their own fire auxiliary units, citing as examples barangays Taculing and Handumanan.
The BFP can offer a 40-hour firefighting training course to barangays eager to create their own firefighting auxiliary units./PN
