Fourteen Bicol municipalities to get 18 units of firetrucks

A total of 14 local government units (LGUs) in Bicol will receive 18 units of new firetrucks from the national office of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

In an interview recently, Insp. Aramis Aristhedes Balde, BFP community relations and public information unit chief, said the units were formally received by BFP-Bicol regional director, Sr. Supt. Renato Capuz, in a simple turnover ceremony at Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Oct. 15.

“The 18 fire trucks with capacity of 1,000 gallons each will be given to the fire stations in the provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate,” he said.

NEW FIRETRUCKS. A total of 18 new firetrucks were formally received by Bureau of Fire Protection-Bicol regional director, Sr. Supt. Renato Capuz (left) and Camarines Sur provincial fire director, Chief Insp. Jan Garry Lunas in a simple turnover ceremony at Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Thursday Oct. 15, 2020. The firetrucks will be distributed to various towns in Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate. (Photo courtesy of Insp. Aramis Aristhedes Balde of BFP-Bicol)

Balde said that Camarines Sur will be given 14 units -- one each for the towns of Garchitorena, Siruma, Lagonoy, Cabusao, Goa and San Fernando, and two each for Ragay, Sipocot, Lupi, and Del Gallego.

Meanwhile, the town of Sta. Elena in Camarines Norte, Cataingan in Masbate, Bacon District in Sorsogon City, and Sto. Domingo in Albay will have one unit of firetruck each.

Balde said they will schedule a simple turnover ceremony for the firetrucks in the coming days.

For the rest of Bicol, he said 13 municipalities still have no firetruck nor fire station. These are: Rapu-Rapu in Albay; Canaman, Sangay, and Presentacion in Camarines Sur; Batuan, Claveria, Mobo, Palanas, and Uson in Masbate; Sta. Magdalena in Sorsogon; Talisay and San Vicente in Camarines Norte; and Bagamanoc in Catanduanes.

These LGUs, however, have fire prevention marshals, Valde said, adding that they have plans and programs for the said towns but they need a piece of land to construct a fire station.

Fire station buildings were recently constructed in Casiguran town in Sorsogon and in San Miguel town in Catanduanes. The LGUs of the said towns donated lots for the buildings.

Balde said according to Section 56 of Republic Act 6975, the local government unit must provide the site for a fire station.

“The BFP has allocated PHP7 million for the construction of fire building. What we need is lot donations,” he said. (PNA)