BFP orders re-inspection of dormitories, schools for fire safety

MANILA, Philippines - With barely two weeks before the opening of classes, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno directed the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to reinspect whether schools, universities, dormitories and commercial establishments are complying with fire safety regulations and standards.

“Any structure or establishment that is found to be operating without mandatory fire safety requirements and in clear violation of the Fire Code of the Philippines and the authority of the BFP must be charged in the proper court.” Puno said.

The DILG chief issued the directive to BFP Acting Chief Rolando Bandilla, through Undersecretary for Public Safety Marius Corpus, following the fires that gutted the Informatics Computer School, displaced 300 families in Pasig City and destroyed documents at the Quezon City Hall.

Corpus said the common violations include no secondary exits; no wet standpipe system; no standard fire exit or fire doors are not provided with a self-closing mechanism; no extension of fire escape to the ground floor; corridors, walls, ceiling and openings are of light wooden materials; defective manual fire alarm; no smoke and heat detector; and inadequate battery operated emergency light. He said the government allows such defects and deficiencies to be corrected in 30 to 60 days.

Corpus also immediately advised all BFP regional directors, district directors, provincial fire marshals and city fire marshals in their areas of responsibility (AOR) to ensure that these establishments have adequate and fully functioning fire exits, fire alarms, smoke detectors and other fire safety equipment and facilities.

He also ordered fire safety inspectors to check all points of egress and give special attention to the food courts in malls where most liquefied petroleum gas tanks are located.

“The mandatory requirements of fire safety must be complied by these establishments based on the type of occupancy. The smallest fire safety code violation should be checked, considering that what is at stake here are people’s lives and properties,” Corpus said. – Cecille Suerte Felipe