MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will have 266 new fire trucks from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which are set to be distributed this year and next year to key cities and municipalities nationwide.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Wednesday that the new fire trucks would beef up the fire prevention efforts of the BFP, especially during March with the onset of the summer season.
“Fire incidents usually peak during summer and we want our firefighters to be ready to be of assistance to the public during conflagrations and other emergencies,” Año said in a statement.
“We are hopeful that with the acquisition of new fire trucks, the BFP will be more than equipped to rush to the location of the blaze to put out the fire and rescue possible victims,” he said.
Of the total firetrucks, 56 of them — worth around P700 million — were procured last year.
Trucks, each with a 1,000-gallon capacity, will be delivered any time soon to stations without trucks and to refleet 20-year-old units.
According to Año, the acquisition of the 56 firetrucks — along with 1,260 sets of self-contained breathing apparatus and three rescue trucks — had already passed the early procurement stage. A notice of award will soon be given to the winning bidder, Año said.
Meanwhile, the procurement of 126 other firetrucks is now in the hands of the Philippine International Trading Corp., which is conducting post-qualification process for the lowest calculated bidder.
“We expect that the award of this project will be made this year,” Año said.
Twenty-eight other firetrucks for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which is being handled by the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management, is still ongoing, the DILG said.
“Ensuring public safety is one of the primary tasks of the government. This is why it fully supports the BFP’s modernization program by setting aside funds for the purchase of new fire trucks and equipment every year,” said Año. /atm