EXCELSIOR: DFSP ABOVE EXCELLENCE

By FO2 Dexter Cerilla

“Give us a day, we will be good, give us a week, we will be great, and give us a month, we will be invincible…”

There is really nothing more important than striving to be a good human being, to be above excellence in all endeavors and be given the acknowledgement and recognition by the society. It is beyond expression in words and the honor it entails is without parallel.

For organizations, the same philosophy follows. Every group strives for due acceptance and distinct respect from the society. And one agency in the midst of this feat is the Bureau of Fire Protection that has struggled afar in its existence. Gone were the days when BFP was just a shadow of the defunct Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police (PC-INP). With Republic Act 6975 or the DILG Act of 1990, the BFP has built its own image and has become one of the dynamic and vibrant arms of the government in the public safety services. And with the passage of Republic Act 9514 otherwise known as the Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008, the BFP has opened floodgates of hopes, avenues for changes and boulevards of opportunities to create an even better stature in the arena of public safety service.

Optimistic of the good things the new law will provide, the entire organization exhausts every possible means to live up to the mandates of law and enforce it with equality and justice, fairness and impartiality, righteousness and integrity. Yet, the bitter truth is that it is close to impossible to gratify everybody, especially when the people concerned became used of the habitual practices where comfort abounds in clutched of illicit advantage.

The question on the law enforcers’ integrity and reliability deluge when affected parties realized the various lapses in its execution and in the provisions of the law itself. It has been more than a year already since the implementation of RA 9514 attains its full swing and numerous inquiries and criticisms as to whether or not the bureau is capable in the efficient and effective discharge of the mandates of law.

It is on this facet that the Directorate for Fire Safety and Prevention (DFSP) under the competent leadership of CSUPT RODRIGO R ABRAZALDO played its role in proving the worth and expertise of the BFP. Apart from the expected output of crafting implementing guidelines and policies in furtherance of its implementation, trainings,  exploratory talks with government and non- government agencies were also encouraged, initiated and implemented in pursuit of providing resolves to settle indifferences of laws and mandates and synchronize some provisions of the new fire code with that of the other laws concerning fire safety.

Of the many initiatives undertaken by the DFSP, noteworthy to mention is the conduct of the training seminar for fire safety practitioners and fire safety enforcers which was a joint effort between the BFP and the United Architects of the Philippines thru a Memorandum of Agreement. The underlying principle of the union is to broaden the knowledge and skills of the people engaged in the practice and enforcement of fire safety so as to better their performance of their duties and responsibilities. It also serves as an avenue for collaboration among enforcers and practitioners to share knowledge and expertise which can result to a more developed and enhanced fire safety profession. It further guaranteed compliance with the extant provision of the new Fire Code allowing the BFP to accredit Fire Safety Practitioners as cohorts in ensuring fire safety in buildings or structures, thus, sharing its responsibilities and accountabilities with others.

 As the agency now looks forward to a more improved and enhanced BFP, it is imperative that innovative ways of dealing with the evolving fire safety technology be also considered to be in step with the change of time. And as it crosses amid change, it has still a long way to go, but with mutual respect, dedication and vigor to greatness among its personnel and the active involvement of the general public, there is really no such thing as impossible.