Malls among 70 metro areas in need of fire stations

WHEN fire hit a slum area in Barangay Ususan in Taguig City last December, the first to respond were firefighters from a station about two kilometers away. It might not seem that far, but the delayed response time was enough for the fire to quickly engulf around 150 houses. An estimated P10 million went up in flames, making it the biggest fire in Metro Manila in terms of damage last year. Barangay Ususan does not have a fire station, and the blaze easily made 300 families homeless. In the first few months of 2011, two barangays in Quezon City that lack fire stations suffered a similar fate. Twenty houses in Old Balara, Diliman and another 20 in Gulod, Novaliches were razed, leaving more than 60 families homeless. As March -- Fire Prevention Month -- drew to a close, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Metro Manila remained saddled with dilapidated equipment, barely operational trucks, shoddy gear, and the most basic of problems—the lack of fire stations. Metro Manila has 122 fire stations, but the BFP Modernization Program says there is a need for 38 more. This is based on the BFP’s ideal ratio of 1 fire station per 4 square kilometers of built-up area, meaning a substantial portion of space is covered by industrial, commercial or residential buildings. With almost the entire Metro Manila becoming a built-up area, however, the need could be almost twice the prescribed number. From data gathered by the BFP-National Capital Region, local fire marshals have identified 70 areas in need of fire stations. These include seven commercial areas such as the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Araneta Center in Quezon City, and Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City. Other areas include four government centers – the Quezon City Hall Compound, Amoranto Stadium, Fort Bonifacio, and the Hall of Justice Compound in Taguig - and 50 barangays. Distance to the nearest fire station and the density of the area’s population weighed in on their recommendation, which also includes nine specific areas, among them Levi Mariano Avenue near Barangay Ususan. Densely populated and poor According to the latest census, the 50 barangays have a total of 1.8 million residents. Three of these barangays are among the most populous in Metro Manila. Barangay Bagong Silang in Caloocan City is the largest in the country in terms of population with 221,874 residents followed by Barangay Commonwealth; Barangay Payatas, ranked fifth, is also on the list. Based on standards set by the social welfare department, six of the 50 barangays are considered “depressed" or poor. The biggest fires of 2010 in Metro Manila happened in such areas—densely populated by people living in houses made of light materials, with narrow or blocked alleys as the only access. Chief Supt. Santiago Laguna, director of BFP-NCR director, says the situation in these places would immediately ring alarm bells in any firefighter. “Kung nakita naming made of light materials ang lugar, yung madaling dikitan ng apoy, agad na nilang itataas yung alarm signal upang tumulong na yung mga karatig na fire stations at distrito," Laguna says. In many instances, trucks fail to reach the site on time because the firefighting vehicles are simply too big to negotiate narrow streets. “Hindrance din yan kasi naaabala ang pagpasok ng mga truck. Crucial yung first 1 to 5 minutes ng sunog, mabuting maapula ito agad," Laguna said. International standards call for fire engines to respond within five minutes of an alarm 90 percent of the time. The standard is high, even for rich countries, but a BFP source claims local fire fighters clock an average response time of 5 to 7 minutes. More than the 4-square kilometer rule However, from the experience of the firefighters, the 4-square kilometer standard for the location of fire stations may no longer be enough. Aside from population, local fire chiefs say areas with potential fire hazards, city centers, and those that have suffered previous significant fire incidents should also be considered.

The city of Manila, for example, has more than enough fire stations by the ideal standard: one central fire station and 13 substations. Yet, Manila is among the LGUs with the highest number of structural fires in the past two years. This is why Manila’s Fire District 1 is pushing for two more stations in Sampaloc, and one each in Sta. Ana and Tondo. Firefighters cite the big fire in Baseco Compound in Tondo to prove that fire stations can never be too close in the case of depressed communities. When fire broke out in Baseco in January 2010, the first to respond were firefighters from the Intramuros Fire Substation just 1.5 kilometers away. Although adequately staffed with two trucks and 26 personnel, however, they were no match to the quickly spreading fire. “Masikip kasi talaga sa Baseco… Dikit-dikit ang mga bahay, andaming tao," recounts one of the firefighters who responded to the blaze. The conflagration reached Task Force Delta, one step away from a General Alarm, which meant that additional firefighting units from other districts had to be called in. One resident died in the fire that razed 100 houses and P2 million worth of property. Manila firefighters said there should be fire stations in the North Harbor and South Harbor to service Baseco. The Quezon City Fire District, which has the biggest requirement of substations, is seeking one substation each in 14 barangays and two commercial areas -- Ortigas Avenue and Araneta Center. Quezon City Fire Marshall Senior Supt. Bobby Baruelo says the nearest fire stations to Araneta Center are located in Project 4 and Q-Mart. “Kapag rumeresponde kami, natatrapik kami sa Edsa. Hindi kami aabot sa 5-minute response time," he says. Pasay City firefighters want a station near SM Mall of Asia in anticipation of the development of the Diosdado Macapagal area as a business center. The sites also has several government offices such as the CCP and GSIS, and some hotels, says Pasay City’s Chief Insp. Douglas Guiyab. Guiyab notes that the nearest fire station to MOA is located near the Philippine Senate, which requires more than the 5-minute response time. The BFP also wants fire stations inside the Navotas City Fish Port compound. Choosing the site of fire stations, however, is the decision of the mayor than the BFP. “Maganda sana na kung saan talaga madaming sunog, dun sila (fire stations) mailalagay. Pero sa Metro Manila, ang hindrance ay yung availability ng lote," Laguna says. “Depende lamang ito sa donation na maibibigay ng LGU, kasi ang BFP naman, wala naman kaming pambili ng lote para gawing station. Sa huli, kung anong lugar lang ang maibibigay ng LGU, yun lang talaga ang pwede naming pagtayuan." Along with their other needs, these extra fire stations remain in the wish list of the BFP. - with Aedrianne D. Acar, GMA News Research This article was edited by Karen Tiongson-Mayrina and Yasmin D. Arquiza.