Only 15 fire trucks for Camanava's 255 barangays

MANILA, Philippines –  Firefighters in the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela (Camanava) have to make do with only 15 operational fire trucks – some already 30 years old – to cover a total of 255 barangays.

Bureau of Fire Protection-National Capital Region (BFP-NCR) head Senior Superintendent Pablito Cordeto is scheduled to inspect fire stations in Metro Manila this week to make sure firefighters are on alert for the rest of the holidays, particularly on New Year’s Eve.

At least 900 families in Cupang, Muntinlupa City and Tondo, Manila lost their homes on Christmas Eve to fire.

 “We are always on alert but the problem is, we have an acute shortage of fire trucks and equipment hampering our capability in battling fire,” a fire official, requesting anonymity, told The STAR yesterday.

He said this problem is as old as their 25 to 30-year-old fire trucks, but “concerned authorities” are to slow to act on their firefighting needs.

The official said government firemen have to “rely heavily” on fire volunteers to help them.

“These concerns has been brought to the higher office even during the time of my father. He retired from the service some 20 years ago, but these problems continue to haunt the local fire bureau,” he said.

In Caloocan City, the local fire department has only five operational fire trucks for its 188 barangays. Three of these are in the city proper while the two others are in Caloocan North, where most of the city’s more than one million population reside.

Caloocan City has two defective ladder fire trucks, designed for high-rise building fires, stocked at the main fire station and one faulty regular fire truck. The city has several high-rise buildings but the local fire department has no functional ladder fire truck.

Malabon City, with 21 barangays, has only three fire trucks. It has one defective tanker at its central fire station in Barangay Potrero.

“We have fire volunteers in every barangay always ready to support our three fire trucks,” Fire Officer 2 Marco Ramos said.

The Navotas City fire department has four fire trucks to cover 14 barangays. One is at their sub-station in Barangay Tanza, while the three others are at their central fire station near the city hall. Another fire truck is under repair.

Fire Officer 2 Amado Ignacio said that apart from constant reminders to residents about the dangers of fire, the local fire department is set to hold parades around the city within this week as part of their fire protection drive during the holidays.

In Valenzuela, the local fire bureau has only three operational fire trucks for the city’s 32 barangays. It has two fire trucks undergoing repair for the past several months.

Camanava firefighters said that a daily report concerning the “status” of their equipment, particularly fire trucks, is being forwarded to the BFP’s main office but no action has yet been taken.