EDITORIAL - BFP must get its hands dirty and check buildings

It is good that the Bureau of Fire Protection has warned building owners about the need to comply with fire safety regulations in the wake of the devastating fire that destroyed the Grenfell Tower apartments in London and killed nearly 80 people. That fire was helped along by the aluminum cladding and foam insulation that enveloped the entire 27-story edifice, materials that are in popular use in the Philippines, including Cebu.

But the BFP should not stop with mere exhortations. It should get its hands dirty by checking all buildings in its area of jurisdiction that use cladding. And if it has checked them already, then it should check them again, this time more thoroughly. It must bear in mind that sometimes it is so easy to get around with safety standards.

This is not to accuse anyone of anything, but there are certain undeniable realities that exist which allow for shortcuts to be made in official requirements, often at the expense of human safety and security. Such realities cannot be ignored especially with the London tragedy still fresh in the mind. They have to be assumed on the side of caution.

This is an opportunity for the BFP and other government agencies concerned with ensuring the safety of buildings and other structures to prove they do not just react to tragedy after it happens but are open-minded enough and pro-active enough to accept the challenge of doing a good job both authoritatively and well. If it is the job of the BFP to ensure fire safety, then that is the job it is expected to do.

Besides, other than doing a good job, the BFP will earn so much more in the eyes of a public it is sworn to serve. By acting pro-actively, a grateful public is expected to look at the BFP as different from other government agencies known for being passive and lethargic. The goodwill it can generate among the people will make the very dangerous job all firefighters do worth their sacrifice.

The London fire was considered a failure in fire safety following a very thorough investigation. It was determined that the cladding used on Grenfell Tower did not pass fire safety regulations. It resulted in a lot of red faces in UK officialdom.

On a very rare occasion, a developed Western power fell way way short. Our very own BFP can effectively hold its collective head high for being a whole lot better. Let us keep it that way.