PAGADIAN CITY: Less fires, more informed populace. This, city’s fire department said fire incidents in 2014 is fewer than the previous year and damages to property decreased to almost 82 percent.
Fire Marshal S/Insp. Reggy Olmedo said, based in their comparative report, total fire damages last year was P5,112,200, from 73 assessed burned structures in 28 fire incidents.
In 2013, a whooping P28,099,050 was recorded, involving a total assessed 76 burned structures in 34 fire incidents.
Olmedo explained that in 2014, most of the fire calls involved residential houses, followed by business and government establishments. Two arsons were likewise recorded.
There were two fire fatalities last year and a firefighter injured in the line of duty, Olmedo added.
The BFP here also deals with the municipalities of Dumalinao, Guipos, Kumalarang, Labangan, Lakewood, San Pablo, and Tigbao, which are short of firefighting equipment.
Last year, Olmedo said they established three BFP sub-stations in Danlugan, Tiguma and Santiago as part of their expansion program.
The Danlugan sub-station, located eight kilometers north, covers 15 upper villages while the one in Santiago covers 8 coastal barangays.
Meanwhile, Tiguma sub-station protects the west portion of the city covering eight barangays, which also includes the towns of Labangan and Tukuran.
Olmedo said their fire station badly needs 5 additional fire trucks, to pick up the ratio of one fire truck in every 20,000 population. (WITH REPORTS FROM JONG CADION)