DILG to boost BFP’s emergency response

MANILA, Philippines — Modern emergency response systems and enhanced public safety capabilities are among this year’s initiatives of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla vowed to bolster the resources of agencies under the DILG with the procurement of ambulances, fire trucks and advanced communication systems.

Six hundred fire trucks will be procured to address gaps in the emergency response of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Remulla said.

“We have 1,400 municipalities and only 600 fire trucks,” he noted.

A monopoly of fire truck suppliers has been eliminated by the BFP, Remulla said.

Fire trucks previously priced at P30 million will now cost half of the amount as the bidding process has been opened up, he noted.

Despite 5,000 BFP nurses, Remulla said the agency lacks ambulances to assist in medical emergencies.

Integration of the new fire trucks into the national emergency services system is expected to work seamlessly with the newly established 911 network, he noted.

Remulla has proposed 10 geolocated call centers to ensure responders are dialect-specific, assisting callers in their native language.

The DILG needs at least P10 billion to implement its modernization plans, Remulla said.

Meanwhile, six Bell 505 helicopters and ATR 72 aircraft will be given to the Philippine National Police to improve mobility and disaster response.

Remulla said each ATR 72 is valued at $27 million, while the Bell 505 helicopters cost $1.9 million each.

Improvements in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, installment of closed-circuit television systems in detention facilities and partnerships with local government units were also mentioned by Remulla.