• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The upgrade of the Bacolod Fire Station (BFS) into a Fire District will ensure that it is equipped to protect lives, property, and the city’s overall development, F/Supt. Jenny Mae Masip, city fire marshal, said.
Masip, who is pushing for the reclassification, said the BFS currently has nine sub-stations and one central station, with 13 firetrucks, four ambulances, and a rescue truck.
These stations are the Bacolod City Central Fire Station in San Juan Street, and the Lopez Jaena, Rodriguez, Libertad, Pahanocoy, Granada, Sum-ag, Mansilingan, Mandalagan, and Alijis sub-stations.
“Upgrading to a Fire District will allow us to accommodate extremely diverse functions, and acquire additional firefighting apparatus and specialized teams, such as hazardous materials units and technical rescue teams. This will surely enhance the overall skill set and readiness of the firefighters,” she said in her request for conversion approval addressed to F/Chief Supt. Rodolfo Denaga, regional director of the Bureau of Fire Protection-Negros Island Region.
The conversion is not just about improving firefighting capabilities, Masip stressed. “It is about fostering a safer, more resilient city that can respond effectively to the growing demands of urbanization, disaster risks, and the complexities of modern emergencies.”
The BFS already secured the support of the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on the proposed reclassification.
Councilor Psyche Marie “Pao” Sy, who authored the resolution approved by the SP Aug. 20, said that Bacolod, being a rapidly developing urban center, is exposed to increasing fire-related hazards in high-density residential, commercial, and industrial areas, making it imperative to upgrade fire service facilities.
Sy, chairperson of the SP Committee on Fire and Disaster Management, said that there is need for enhanced fire protection services proportionate to Bacolod’s growth as a highly-urbanized city, now with a population of around 674,633.
The BFS currently has 123 personnel.
The reclassification would ensure the allocation of additional resources for more effective fire prevention, suppression, and emergency response, Sy said. | CGC
