DILG to LGUs: Donate land for fire stations

Interior and Local Government Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento yesterday called on local government units (LGUs) to donate at least 400 square meters of land where fire stations could be built.

Sarmiento, who led the ceremonial distribution of 155 fire trucks to various cities and municipalities at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, said the donation of land for fire stations is in compliance with the policy of the national government.

He explained that the government wants to avoid a situation which happened in the past when government structures such as fire stations were built on land that had no clear donation papers and the land owner later reclaims his property.

He also said the budget for the building is available.

The distribution of the new fire trucks to the various LGUs is part of the modernization program of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Sarmiento said the fire trucks distributed yesterday formed the third batch of fire trucks distributed to LGUs since last year.

A total of 469 units of fire trucks were recently purchased by the BFP. Of these, 244 are capable of carrying 1,000 gallons of water while 225 are capable of carrying 500 gallons.

According to Sarmiento, at least 115 more fire trucks would be distributed by the BFP to the various LGUs before next month, being “Fire Prevention Month.”

Sarmiento said the BFP still needs at least 1,000 more fire trucks to achieve the standard fire truck to population ration of 1:28,000.

At present there are 2,215 fire trucks being utilized by the BFP nationwide to service almost 100 million people.