BFP urged to acquire firefighting helicopters

A man searches for whatever is left on Sunday, April 21, 2024, from a fire that gutted business establishments along Pedro Gil Street in Paco, Manila on Saturday. The Paco Catholic School was damaged in the fire that reached the fifth alarm. DANNY PATA

The Bureau of Fire Protection should include funding for the acquisition of firefighting helicopters in its proposed budget for 2025 amid the increasing number of fire incidents in the country, a lawmaker said Tuesday.

Deputy Speaker and Cebu lawmaker Duke Frasco made the call under his House Resolution 1686, citing the 23% increase in fire incidents in the country within the first two months of 2024 alone.

“Fire incidents have become a big problem in the Philippines. Among the most common challenges encountered while responding to such fires, especially in densely populated and residential areas, is the delayed arrival of firefighters due to severe traffic congestion and their difficulty in accessing the fire-affected and congested sites due to minimal firefighting gear, equipment, and vehicles,” Frasco said in a statement.

“Aerial firefighting is badly needed for faster and more efficient fire suppression operations,” he added.

Frasco said his proposal is in line with the BFP Modernization Law, or Republic Act 11589, which provides for the enhancement of the capability of BFP personnel and the acquisition of state-of-the-art fire prevention, fire suppression, fire investigation, and emergency medical and rescue services facilities and equipment.

As of January 2024, the BFP said the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has the highest number of municipalities with no fire truck and station at 58, followed by Region 8 (Eastern Visayas), 14; Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 12; Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), 11; and Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), 10. —VBL, GMA Integrated News

This article BFP urged to acquire firefighting helicopters was originally published in GMA News Online.