BFP-CAR needs 353 personnel for region

BAGUIO CITY  – The Cordillera office of the bureau of Fire Protection (BFP-CAR) disclosed the agency needs at least 353 personnel to beef up its workforce and to comply with the standard ratio of one firefighter to 2,000 individuals amidst on-going efforts to complete the establishment of municipal fire stations in the various towns regionwide.

Senior Superintendent Maria Sofia Mendoza, BFP-CAR regional director, said that the agency has a total of 693 personnel complement to date which is still way below the standard 1:2,000 fire personnel to population ratio enshrined under the law but efforts are underway to meet the prescribed targeted ideal ratio.

She added there are already 266 applicants for the BFP-CAR’s 77 personnel quota this year that is why they will have to undergo the stringent screening process for the selection of new personnel.

Of the region’s 75 municipalities, the BFP-CAR official reported there are 58 towns that have their own municipal fire stations with adequate personnel. Of the 17 towns that do not yet have their fire stations, 8 municipalities have already lot donations while 4 of the said towns will be prioritized for the construction of the fire stations this year after the validation of the donated lots shall have been completed.

Under the agency’s criteria, one fire truck must have a personnel complement of 14 personnel but most of the municipal fire stations that have existing fire trucks have only 8 to 9 personnel available, thus, several personnel have multiple assignments and functions.

For a municipality to have its own fire station, she explained the municipal government must donate to the BFP a 400-500-square meter lot as the site for the fire station depending on the existing terrain in the area.

According to her, standard fire stations for municipalities have a project cost of P2.6 million, the typical fire stations will cost P4.2 million each while the larger fire stations that need excavation cost around P7 million each.

Mendoza emphasized the construction of the municipal or provincial fire stations, the provision of a fire truck, and the granting of the initial personnel complement in the different towns and provinces comes in a package, thus, the need for the towns without fire stations to fast track the donations of the required lot so that the agency could already start working on the building of their fire stations in the next several years.

One of the problems why municipalities are having a difficult time working out the donation of the required lot to the BFP-CAR, Mendoza stated, is that most of the lands in the region are part of forest reservations while other towns do not have sufficient government lots for such purpose.

On the other hand, she revealed there are also some private individuals in the different municipalities who donated portions of their properties to be used as fire stations of their local governments, thus, the practice of the harmonious working relationship between the local officials and their constituents.

By HENT