New fire bureau chief to prioritize fire code fees collection

THE newly appointed officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the implementation of fire code fees collection all over the country will be prioritized under his watch to help improve the resources of the agency.

Chief Superintendent Ruben Bearis Jr., the new BFP-OIC, said the funds collected from the fire code fees will help finance the modernization program of the fire bureau.

Bearis said the BFP will be able to purchase more fire trucks, personnel protective equipment like fire boots, fire helmets, fire coats and trousers, and build fire stations.

Last March, the National Statistical and Coordination Board revealed that there are 12 to 13 fire stations and fire sub-stations for every one million people in the country from 2010 to 2011.

The BFP is also mandated to establish at least one fire station in each local government unit with sufficient equipage and personnel. However, the bureau acknowledged that not all municipalities in the country have fire protection services.

The BFP also prescribes that there must be one operational fire truck for every 28,000 population. But the bureau said there was a shortage of 1,899 serviceable units for 2011 to meet the standard fire truck-to-population ratio. (Emmanuel Louis Bacani/Sunnex)