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BFP modernization to solve fire response woes: DILG

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

July 27, 2021, 2:51 pm

<p><em>(File photo)</em></p>

(File photo)

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte's push for the enactment of a law modernizing the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will greatly improve the country's capability to reduce casualties and damage from fire incidents, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Tuesday.

"We are welcoming that proposed law because for so long a time, alam naman natin yung BFP andami pang kulang na gamit, yung ating fire trucks kulang pa, mga fire officers hindi pa natin nakukuha yung ideal ratio na dapat one is to 28,000 tapos ating bawat fire truck dapat at least 14 people nagmamando diyan. Kailangan natin ng mga high ladder fire trucks na kayang tumira ng apoy sa high-story building para hindi na pumasok ang bumbero sa loob (we know that the BFP still lacks equipment. We don't have enough fire trucks and fire officers. The ideal ratio of one fire officer is to 28,000 population is not yet achieved. A fire truck should be manned by at least 14 fire officers. We should have high ladder fire trucks that can put out fire on high-story buildings so our firemen do not have to enter these burning areas)," Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in a phone interview.

He said all municipalities must have at least a minimum of one fire truck and one fire station.

However, some towns only have either of the two.

“We still have over 200 towns that need fire trucks because it's either they have none at all or their fire trucks are so old. For instance, these have been in use for more than 30 years,” he added.

Año also said they need fire boats for cities lying near coastlines that have crowded areas.

Kailangan may fire boats tayo kasi karamihan sa mga cities along the coastline, may mga areas diyan na masisikip na hindi makapasok ng husto ng fire truck ganun din yung ating helicopter with firefighting capabilities. Yung fire boats inaprubahan ni PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) yan pero walang budget kaya kailangan talaga ng BFP modernization (We need to have fire boats because most of the cities along the coastline have crowded areas that fire trucks cannot easily enter. We also need helicopters with firefighting capabilities. The fire boats were approved by PRRD but there is no budget so BFP really needs modernization),” said Año.

Año, however, said the procurement of some essential equipment such as self-breathing apparatus for firefighters is now in the pipeline.

"It's like what our scuba divers use that can be used so that even if an area is full of smoke, our firefighters can breathe,” he stressed.

In his final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, Duterte called on Congress to pass a law strengthening and modernizing the BFP.

In May, the congressional bicameral conference committee approved its report on the measure seeking to strengthen and modernize the BFP.

The panel has ironed out disagreeing provisions of House Bill 7406 and Senate Bill 1832, otherwise known as the proposed BFP Modernization Act.

The bicameral version of the bill seeks to "establish and implement the BFP Modernization Program geared towards the capability enhancement of its personnel and acquisition of state-of-the-art fire prevention, fire suppression, fire investigation, emergency medical and rescue services apparatus."

However, the Senate in June rejected the bicameral conference committee report over a provision of the bill seeking to arm firefighters.

The Senate has requested the House of Representatives to create a new panel to review the measure. (PNA)

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