BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Firefighting equipment that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) here use are several years old already. It dreams of having more modern ones.
“Subong ga-amat-amat naman ta modernize kay gin aprubahan na ni President Rodrigo Duterte ang modernization ni BFP,” said Fire Chief Inspector Rodel Legaspi, city fire marshal.
They hope, too, for additional rescue equipment such as an ambulance and a smaller fire truck which can penetrate narrow roads.
One issue hampering fire call response are narrow passageways.
“Tama ka gamay sang dalan, tama ka dikit-dikit ang mga balay, kag medyo mabudlay sudlon,” said Legaspi.
The length of their fire hoses is also a concern, he added.
BFP-Bacolod has identified several fire-prone barangays – 1, 2, 10, 12, 16, 19, 20, 28, 30, 31, 34, 35, 40, Alangilan, Bata, Banago, Cabug, Estefania, Felisa, Granada, Handumanan, Mansilingan, Pahanocoy, Punta Taytay, Sum-ag, Singcang-Airport, Taculing, Tangub, Villamonte, and Vista Alegre.
Legaspi ordered his fire substation commanders to meet with the officials of these barangays and coordinate with them for hazard mapping and hose mapping.
BFP-Bacolod recorded f 206 fire incidents in 2021, with the combined damage reaching P9.1 million./PN
