Senator: Manila needs 87 more fire stations

A fire that broke out in Quezon City on Monday morning underscored the Bureau of Fire Protection's (BFP) lack of firefighting equipment and facilities, a senator said.

Senator Edgardo Angara said BFP needs at least 87 more fire stations in Metro Manila to meet international safety standards. Citing BFP data, Angara said Metro Manila has 127 fire stations.

"Right now, it’s up to the local leaders to ensure that their constituents are protected from this kind of hazard," he said, explaining local governments pay the upkeep of fire stations in their area.

At a recent Senate hearing on disaster preparedness, the BFP said it would be helpless if a fire broke out at the Pandacan oil depot in Manila.

BFP Superintendent Joselito Cortez of the Fire Suppression Operation Division said they do not have high-power hoses to deal with a fire at the depot. The fire bureau added it only had 12 chemical hazard suits to protect its firefighters.

Senators Loren Legarda and Juan Miguel Zubiri promised to push for a bigger share of the 2012 national budget for the BFP.

By Jonathan de Santos