The Bureau of Fire Protection 11 (BFP11) is now strict in issuing Fire Safety Inspection Certificate, days after the Davao City Business Bureau announced that 10,000 business establishments in the city were barred for failure of complying with certain requirements.
BFP11 Public Information Section Chief Fire Inspector Cyrus Medina said on Wednesday that the bureau is now cautious in granting fire permit, as it is a multi-sectorial concern.
“We are now very strict in enforcing the fire safety code because we have learned our lessons, especially with the sensational incidents that claimed many lives,” he said.
Medina was referring to the NCCC Mall Davao fire incident that killed 38 workers last December 23, 2017.
Five officials of the BFP11 were criminally charged by the Interagency Anti-Arson Task Force (IAATF) as a result.
The fire official, however, clarified that non-compliant establishments were not totally blocked, but just placed under a “negative list”.
Medina said that most of the business establishments placed under the list failed to secure fire safety clearance from the fire station right after processing their business renewal application.
“Fire Safety Inspection Certificate is a prerequisite in the grant of a business permit,” he said.
“That is why, right after processing your business permit, you proceed to the nearest fire station wherein your business establishment is located,” Medina added.
He said that the BFP will conduct an inspection of a building establishment before it will issue a fire safety certificate.
Medina said that establishments must have fire exits, fire extinguisher, fire sprinklers or smoke and heat detector.
He also said that this year has the most number of establishments placed under the “negative list”, as compared to 2018 with more than estimated 7,000.
“As of now, they are slowly complying with the requirements,” Medina said.
