BFP-11 command center launched in Davao City

DILG Officer-in-Charge Eduardo M. Año. (Photo: DILG)

DAVAO CITY — The Department of Interior and Local government (DILG) has launched the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 11’s command operation center at its headquarters along Leon Garcia-Monterverde streets in this city.

Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año led the launching on Saturday and announced the approval of PHP1-billion fund that would be used to acquire new firefighting equipment and five additional fire trucks or tankers and some 10 fire-truck ladders.

“So yan po ang ating maasahan (So that’s what we can expect) for this year on top of the budget that we have set aside to procure additional fire trucks and individual fire protection equipment for firefighters,” Año told BFP officials here.

According to Año, President Rodrigo Duterte wants to enhance the firefighting capability response of the BFP so there is a need for the BFP’s facilities to be modernized.

Año said BFP 11 would be the “model for the modernization” of the offices, adding that the fire command center should be replicated in other regions.

“So kung ano yung best practices in the region we can adopt and we are very thankful with the donors for their big help to us to work effectively,” said BFP-11 head Superintendent Rico Kwan Tiu.

“The operations center is like the 911 concept wherein the BFP, as the eye, we can immediately see the situation and with that, we can assess and provide a group of responders. So it’s a big help for us,” Tiu said.

“This is (attuned) to 911 as the president wants to intensify the 911 so BFP has its own concept (of) 911,” he added.

After the launch, the BFP firefighters will undergo a one-day training to be conducted by foreign firefighters who will be teaching skills in rescue, water emergency as well as forest fire management.

“So malaking (this is a big) enhancement not only on the part of BFP but as well as local disaster personnel and the PNP (Philippine National Police) because we want to promote and establish interoperability between agencies so that when an incident comes we already know how we can respond faster, ” he added.

The region also established the “one assessment, one payment” center to prevent corrupt practices.