A total of 119 municipalities in the country have no fire stations with 11 of them without fire trucks, the Commission on Audit (COA) disclosed in its 2024 audit report.

There are 1,634 cities and municipalities in the Philippines, the COA said.

It said the municipalities without fire stations and fire trucks violate Republic Act No. 6975 and its amendments that require at least one fire station with adequate personnel, firefighting facilities and equipment in every provincial capital, city, and municipality.

"Compared to the noted number of municipalities without activated fire stations in 2023, the number of municipalities without activated fire stations decreased from 146 to 119 municipalities, while the municipalities with activated fire stations but without fire trucks still remained at 11 municipalities," it also said.

Out of the 11 municipalities without fire trucks, nine of them are from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and there is one municipality each from Regions 2 and 3, the COA said.

Out of the 119 municipalities without activated fire stations, 60 of these are from BARMM while the others came from Regions 8 (13), 9 (12), 10 (11), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) (11), IV-B (8), 2 (3), and 6 (1).

"The absence of fire stations and fire trucks significantly delay the immediate response and rescue of affected fire victims and pose a significant threat to public safety," the COA report stressed.

The COA recommended that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) improve its capabilities in municipalities without fire stations and fire trucks to fulfill the mandate of the laws.