Despite the turnover of four new firetrucks to three municipalities in Catanduanes recently, only one of the 11 towns – Bagamanoc – remains without a fire station or a firetruck.
Data from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) provincial office showed that as of this month, except for Bagamanoc, the other 10 towns have at least one (1) fire station.
San Andres has two fire stations while the capital town will soon have its second with the local government unit, through the efforts of Mayor Samuel Laynes, donating to the BFP a 500-square meter lot at the Community Hub in San Isidro Village for the construction of the Virac Central Fire Station.
A new fire station building will also be constructed in Baras, according to Mayor Jose Paolo Teves III.
According to a source, the Bagamanoc LGU has yet to donate a lot to the BFP for the construction of a fire station.
The same data shows that, on paper, Virac has the most firetrucks with five (5), but two of the trucks are considered unserviceable while one is too old to be economically maintained.
The municipality of Bato has three (3) firetrucks, followed by Baras, Panganiban, Pandan and San Andres with two (2) each, while Viga, Gigmoto, Caramoran and San Miguel have one truck each.
Under current standards, there should be one firetruck for every 14,000 people and based on its current population of more than 76,000, Virac needs five firetrucks and thus needs to replace its three dilapidated units while Caramoran needs at least one more unit.
In his message during the blessing and turnover of the new firetrucks, TGP Rep. Jose Teves Jr. recalled that during the hearing for the 2024 budget, he followed up with DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos the release of three more units for Catanduanes and the latter immediately ordered the BFP to release the trucks.
Also successfully lobbied by the solon was the funding for the construction of the Baras Fire Station and the BFP provincial office.
Reiterating that he has always allocated 40 to 50 percent of the TGP funding for projects to Catanduanes, he asked Congressman Eulogio Rodriguez to assist in realizing the construction of fire stations for the other towns this year.
The district congressman said that Sec. Abalos has already assured him that other LGUs will receive the needed fire stations and firetrucks in 2024 and 2025 but this would depend on the LGUs donating the needed lots to the BFP.
Meanwhile, the BFP provincial office has reported that the number of fire incidents slightly increased last year compared to 2022 but there were no fatalities recorded in the 35 incidents.
This is about six percent greater than the 33 fires in 2022, the BFP said.
Twenty-three (23) are classified as structural fires, which hit 21 residences, one industrial/factory building, and one storage.
The other 12 non-structural fires included five (5) grass, rubbish or forest fires, two (2) motor vehicles and two “locomotives”.
As to causes, all 35 fire incidents in 2023 were accidental while in 2022, two of the 33 incidents were intentional or arson cases.
Eight or nearly a fourth of the fires were blamed on electrical connections, appliances and machinery while five were caused by unattended cooking or stoves and three involved exploding LGP tanks.