Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 5338

Introduced by Representative Jose Luis Angel N. Campos, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to further professionalize and empower members of the Bureau of
Fire Protection (BFP) to serve as medical first responders.

In developed countries, firemen are at the forefront of emergency first response.
From conflagrations and floods to vehicular accidents and even rescuing pets, fire officers
are the most common heroes to save the day. In the Philippines, however, firemen are
predominantly perceived as limited to fire fighting and saving people from unfriendly
and destructive fire. This undermines the capacity of firemen to save lives, not only from
fire, but more importantly from possible injuries and deaths caused by various
emergencies and hazards.

Before actual deployment, firemen undergo a four-month housed-in-camp training,
which includes application of advanced first aid at the National Fire Training Institute in
Canlubang, Laguna. But they lack standard certifications from accrediting institutions.
Even the BFP does not issue a certification that graduates of their fire officers’ training
Program are qualified first responders. Although the existing pre-employment training
Policies and programs of the BFP require that they pass physical and aptitude tests
including emergency medical first responders’ training, there is still a need to
institutionalize and highlight this crucial competency and duty.

This proposed bill will require fire officers to become adept, not just in suppressing,
fire but also in responding to medical emergencies caused by fire and other disasters. By
institutionalizing training and certification of fire officers as medical first responders, the
people are assured that the BFP is capable of holistically managing fire incidents and
disasters. Each fire station is proposed to have at least one certified emergency medical
technician who can attend to more complicated cases and can operate sophisticated
emergency medical equipment whenever necessary.

Given the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

'
SE LUIS ANGEL N.


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 53838

Introduced by Representative Jose Luis Angel N. Campos, Jr.

AN ACT
REQUIRING PERSONNEL OF THE BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION TO BE
CERTIFIED FIRST RESPONDERS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT
NO. 9263, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “BUREAU OF FIRE
PROTECTION AND BUREAU OF JAIL MANAGEMENT AND PENOLOGY
PROFESSIONALIZATION ACT OF 2014”

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 8 of Republic Act No. 9263, as amended, is hereby further
amended to read as follows:

“SEC.8. _ Professionalization and — Qualifications Upgrading
Program. - The DILG shall design and establish a professionalization and
qualifications upgrading program for the uniformed personnel of the BEP
and the BJMP in coordination with the CSC and the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) through an off-campus education program or other
similar programs within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act.

AFTER THE APPOINTMENT OF UNIFORMED PERSONNEL OF
THE BFP, RECRUITS MUST UNDERGO AND COMPLETE THE PUBLIC
SAFETY BASIC RECRUIT COURSE. THE COMPONENTS AND COURSE
DESCRIPTION OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY BASIC RECRUIT COURSE
SHALL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL RULES AND
REGULATIONS ON MANDATORY TRAINING, LOCAL SCHOOLING,
SEMINAR AND WORKSHOP WHICH ARE ISSUED BY THE BFP. THE
COMPLETION OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY BASIC RECRUIT COURSE
PROVIDES THE FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
NECESSARY FOR ACHIEVING THE MINIMUM. STANDARDS OF FIRE
PERSONNEL COMPETENCE, INCLUDING ADVANCED FIRST AID
AND EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONSE. GRADUATES OF THE PUBLIC
SAFETY BASIC RECRUIT COURSE MUST BE GIVEN THE
APPROPRIATE CERTIFICATION.

FOR EVERY FIRE STATION, THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR
FIRE PROTECTION SHALL APPOINT OR DESIGNATE, FROM AMONG
THE UNIFORMED PERSONNEL OF THE BFP WITH A RANK OF FIRE
OFFICER II TO SENIOR FIRE OFFICER IV, AT LEAST ONE (1)
UNIFORMED PERSONNEL TO ACT AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL


TECHNICIAN WHO WILL SUPERVISE FIRE OFFICERS IN
RESPONDING TO MEDICAL EMERGENCIES.

AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN REFERS TO A
TRAINED AND CERTIFIED PRE-HOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE
PROVIDER WHO IS CAPABLE OF PERFORMING EXTENSIVE PRE-
HOSPITAL CARE SERVICES SUCH AS ADVANCED FIRST AID LEVEL
CARE, ENDOTRACHEAL INTUBATIONS AND CARDIOPULMONARY
RESUSCITATION; ADMINISTERING MEDICATIONS ORALLY AND
INTRAVENOUSLY; AND USING AUTOMATED EXTERNAL
DEFIBRILLATOR AND OTHER COMPLEX EMERGENCY MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT.

A NEW RECRUIT TO THE BFP MUST COMPLY WITH THE
ADDITIONAL TRAINING QUALIFICATION PROVIDED FOR IN THIS.
SECTION. UNIFORMED PERSONNEL WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE
SERVICE AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2017 SHALL BE GIVEN FIVE (5) YEARS
TO OBTAIN THE MINIMUM CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT AS
MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDER. THE BFP PERSONNEL DESIGNATED
AS FIRE STATION EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN MUST
POSSESS APPROPRIATE CERTIFICATION AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL
TECHNICIAN IN ADDITION TO THEIR TRAINING AND
CERTIFICATION AS MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDER: PROVIDED, THAT
UNIFORMED BFP PERSONNEL WHO HAVE RENDERED MORE THAN
FIFTEEN (15) YEARS OF SERVICE AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2017 SHALL
NO LONGER BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE
AFOREMENTIONED CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT AS MEDICAL
FIRST RESPONDER.”

SEC. 2. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,