Bacolod urges barangays to form fire auxiliary group

The City Government of Bacolod urged all the barangays to form community fire auxiliary groups (CFAGs) to be the first responders to fire calls within their barangays.

Councilor Lady Gles Gonzales-Pallen, president of Liga ng mga Barangay, said each purok in the barangays should have one CFAG member.

" Our barangay should have at least 10 to 20 members of CFAG to coordinate with the Bureau of Fire (BFP)," she said.

She added the CFAGs along with the barangay tanods will also serve as crowd control during the fire incident.

On August 5, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez met with the BFP to establish an effective intervention in fire incidents at the Bacolod City Government Center.

This, was after at least 99 houses were razed by fire in Purok Kagaykay, Barangay 2 on July 31, and Purok Kingfisher, Barangay 16, on August 1, 2024.

Gonzales-Pallen said the CFAGs as well as the barangay tanods will undergo training with the BFP.

" In case of the fire incident, the CFAGs and the barangay tanods will be the first responders to fire calls in coordination with the BFP," she said.

Gonzales-Pallen noted that of 61 barangays, only 10 barangays already formed CFAG.

" Hopefully, by the end of the year, we can make it 61 barangays with CFAG," she said.

As of August 5, 2024, Bacolod City has a total of 195 red zones or fire prone areas in various barangays./MAP