BY: FAYETTE C. RIÑEN
CEBU CITY, March 12 (PIA) – There may
not be enough government firefighters in Central Visayas but the Bureau of Fire
Protection (BFP-7) has at least 100 fire volunteers in every barangay to
address the lack of manpower in responding to fire alarms.
Inspector Eulalio Muñez, chief of the
Fire Safety Enforcement Section of the Cebu City Fire Station said the number
of firemen per station is not enough to cover the total population of the area
as the standard ratio of one fireman to population is at 1:2,000.
“In Cebu City alone, we have only 128
firemen and the population of the city stands at around one million,” said
Muñez adding this clearly is an indication that there is manpower shortage.
Muñez said the 128 firemen are
distributed to the city’s nine substations.
But Muñez was quick to add that in
order to address the deficit, “we are training fire volunteers in the barangay
level to help us respond to fire alarms. Fire volunteers are divided into day
and night shifts and each shift should have a least 50 volunteers.”
Inspector Arra Alpajaro, chief of the
Fire Safety Enforcement Section of the BFP-7 on the other hand, said they are
tapping barangay tanods to become fire volunteers and undergo the necessary
skills training.
In Metro Cebu, Cebu City has the most
number of fire substations with nine followed by Lapulapu City with seven. Both
the cities of Mandaue and Talisay only have one substation.
Alpajaro however said other firemen
from other substations can cross to other areas outside their jurisdiction if
the situation calls for more additional help.
In terms of resources, Alpajaro said
all local government units in the region have its own fire truck which is a
basic requirement while firefighting equipment is also in place.
According to Muñez, the standard
response time is within seven minutes and “so far, we have responded within the
ideal time.”
Both Alpajaro and Muñez said concerns on number of firemen and
firefighting tools are already being addressed as the main challenge for them
lies in the support and cooperation of the public to do their share in helping
prevent fire incidents. (mbcn/PIA-7)