BFP to get another 100 fire trucks this year according to Ronnie Puno

In line with the modernization program of the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Department of Interior and Local Government is planning more fire trucks that can be used to compensate the available fire fighting units of the bureau. To be exact, the Bureau of Fire Protection is adding another 100 fire truck units in the country.

This new development in the organization was relayed to the general public by Secretary Ronnie Puno during his visit to Pagadian, City. The DILG chief was the guest speaker in the 3rd regular meeting of the Regional Peace and Order. The secretary said that the beefing up of the fire fighting units of the country was one of the major and priority projects of the department when he first served as the DILG chief. He noted then that most municipalities in the country were having a hard time procuring the fire trucks for their respective municipalities. In 2000, there was an agreement with the Japanese government regarding the procurement of fire trucks but this did not pushed thru when he decided to leave the department. But in 2004 the Bureau of Fire Protection used this initiative by Secretary Ronnie Puno to acquire more trucks for the organization, and in 2007 new fire trucks were added to the stable. During that year, the bureau added 37 fire trucks and another 65 were added last year. And for this year another 100 fire trucks are expected to be added to the stable.

The secretary also made use of the event to formally inform the governor of the province that a fire truck will be delivered to the province and this can be used to help prevent fires in the province. The program of the department to modernize the BFP is not just a short term program of the department. He said that this is a long term program, and a program supported by the President herself.