The City Government of Bacolod, in partnership with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and key stakeholders, successfully held the Fire Response Summit and Adopt-a-Red Zone Area Program on March 31, 2026, at the Bacolod City Government Center.
The initiative reinforces the city’s commitment to proactive fire prevention and efficient emergency response. Aligned with Fire Prevention Month’s theme—“Sa Pag-iwas sa Sunog, Hindi Ka Nag-iisa!” (In Preventing Fires, You Are Not Alone!)—the event brought together representatives from government agencies, barangays, volunteer fire brigades, private sector partners, and community groups.
Participants collaborated to enhance coordination and disaster preparedness across the city. A key highlight was the ceremonial signing of two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), which formalize partnerships to boost community safety efforts: The first MOU, under the Adopt-a-Red Zone Program, unites the BFP, barangays, fire-prone communities, and private sector partners to address risks in over 300 designated “red zone” areas in Bacolod.
The second MOU establishes standardized inter-agency coordination and communication protocols for fire emergencies, ensuring a unified and efficient response across all units. In his keynote address, Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya underscored the critical role of robust emergency systems: “We have prioritized emergency preparedness through multiple initiatives. Just one week ago, personnel completed training for the 911 hotline system. In emergency response, every second counts—the faster we act, the greater the impact we can make. We began these preparations last year, making Bacolod among the first cities to do so. We anticipate receiving approval to operationalize the 911 system within this quarter.”
“We are united in advancing our emergency preparedness efforts. The city has acquired three additional ambulances and expanded patient transport services to ensure timely medical support. We extend our gratitude for the continued collaboration and support, particularly for initiatives targeting our high-risk areas,”the mayor added.
As part of strengthened communication protocols, the BFP has established direct coordination with selected barangays that have fire response capabilities, including the Community Fire Auxiliary Groups (CFAGs) of Taculing, Handumanan, and Estefania. Under this system, CFAGs are empowered to launch immediate responses to fire incidents within their respective areas. For manageable situations—such as grass fires and other low-risk cases—these units can conduct initial firefighting operations to enable faster containment. BFP units will remain on standby to provide support if incidents escalate. Even barangays without dedicated CFAGs have received training to address small, controllable fires using available equipment like fire extinguishers.
Should incidents grow beyond their capacity, trained barangay personnel are instructed to coordinate promptly with the nearest BFP sub-fire station for professional intervention. City Fire Marshal FSUPT Jenny Mae Masip emphasized that grass fires increase significantly during the summer season, linked to dry environmental conditions: “At this time of year, vegetation and open lands become extremely dry, making them highly vulnerable to ignition. Many incidents stem from improperly discarded cigarette butts, while others arise from unattended controlled burning activities in subdivisions—some of which spread rapidly due to sudden strong winds.” Deputy City Fire Marshal JINSP Jemarie G. Tapiru disclosed that 24 fire incidents were recorded in January and 11 in February. (Bacolod City Communications Office)
