50% of firefighters don’t have complete protective gear – BFP

MANILA, Philippines — Around 50 percent of firefighters of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) do not have a complete set of personal protective equipment.

BFP spokesman Chief Inspector Jude delos Reyes said yesterday about half of their bureau’s 25,000 personnel risk their lives combating fires without complete protection.

“There are still about 50 percent of the firefighters na hindi kumpleto yun PPE,” he said in an interview over dzBB.

Among these equipment are helmets and boots, said Delos Reyes. Also included as PPEs are respirators, gloves, blankets and gas masks.

The lack of protective equipment is one of the problems which they are hoping will be addressed by the current administration.

The BFP is also short of manpower as it needs around 11,000 firefighters to cover the entire country.

President Duterte earlier said he wants to arm firefighters so they can help fight communist rebels and other lawless elements.

Delos Reyes said Duterte’s statement is a welcome development as they also need to protect themselves during firefighting operations where they deal with uncooperative civilians who would forcibly take their water hoses and use these for themselves.

“It would be very wise kung ang aming mga elements mismo ay nagproprotekta sa aming firefighters who are there at the fire scene,” he said.

Aside from lack of personnel, Delos Reyes said 304 towns in the country still don’t have fire stations and fire trucks.

The BFP earlier said many of the localities still without fire stations and fire trucks are in the impoverished Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where 96 areas are deprived of such lifesaving components.

“The thrust of our modernization program is these 304 municipalities will have at least one fire station and one fire truck,” Delos Reyes said.

In Metro Manila, they have four fire truck ladders but these are only capable of reaching structures with only seven floors but not high-rise condominiums.