Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

NINETEENTH CONGRESS:
First Regular Session

3515

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HONORABLE ROMEO M. ACOP

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) was created by virtue of Republic
Act No. 6975, otherwise known as the “Department of the Interior and Local
Government Act of 1990”, with the mandate to prevent and suppress
destructive fires, investigate its causes, provide emergency medical and
rescue services, and enforce other fire related laws with active involvement
of the community.

The BFP is also responsible for the enforcement of Republic Act No.
9514, otherwise known as the “Revised Fire Code of the Philippines of
2008", and other related laws. To fulfill its mandate, it shall establish at
least one (1) fire station with adequate personnel, firefighting facilities and
equipment in every provincial capital, city and municipality subject to
standard rules and regulations as maybe promulgated. As part of its
function to provide emergency medical and rescue services, it must ensure
operational readiness of the emergency medical services (EMS) team on
duty.

According to the 2008 Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of
the Fire Code of the Philippines, the scope of training for members of fire
brigades consist of training on fire suppression, rescue, EMS and related
emergency response.! They shall also be instructed on the handling of
available fire rescue apparatus, equipment, devices and tools. The IRR,
however, does not impose any standard as to the type and quality of EMS
and related emergency response training.

‘The following guidelines have also failed to establish adequate
standards for entry-level fireman, Fire Officer 1 (FO1), as Certified First
Responders and/or Certified Emergency Medical Technicians:

1) Department Order No. 92-288 dated 22 July 1992;

* Implementing Rules and Regulations, Fire Code of the Philippines. 2008. Bureau of Fire Protection.



2) Memorandum Circular No. 2008-07 — Prescribing Policies and
Guidelines on BFP EMS Operations; and

3) Memorandum Circular No. 2008-011 - Amended Policies, Guidelines
and Protocols on BFP EMS Operations.

Since its inception in the 1970s, the delivery of EMS continues to
evolve and mature. As is true of most new professions, no “master plan” was
conceived to systematically guide its evolution at the outset. The
stakeholders of EMS had no way to predict the challenges that would face
the profession in its rapid growth period. The diversity of EMS providers
(from paid, full-time personnel to volunteers), system design (hospital-based
to public safety-based), and local variations of practice have presented
unique challenges that are not encountered by other allied health care
professions.?

In the United States, it took them almost thirty (30) years to come up
with a national standard EMS curricula, accreditation standards, and a
national registration system; these individual elements independently
developed and grew in that same period. Currently, there is no formal EMS
education system in which the components are clearly defined, their
interrelationships articulated, and the decision-making process for
modification and improvement established. The absence of a formal EMS
education system has also led to inconsistencies among the various
curricula and difficulties in the ability to bridge from one level of education
to another. Currently, there is no consistent method of providing input to
the national EMS education decision-making process.

While aware of these challenges, this Representation nonetheless
believes that a mandatory training to qualify our fire officers in EMS and as
Certified First Responders will go a long way in further strengthening the
BFP in achieving its mission in the best possible way.

(ON. ROMEO Mf. ACOP
Represeritative
2nd District, Antipolo City

2 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2000. Emergency Medical Services education
agenda for the future: A systems approach. Washington, DC: US Department of
‘Transportation/National Highway ‘Traffic Safety Administration (DOT/NHTSA}, DOT HS, 809, p.042.
sie


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO 3515

Introduced by HONORABLE ROMEO M. ACOP

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 PROTECTIONAND BUREAU OF JAIL MANAGEMENT
AND PENOLOGY PROFESSIONALIZATION ACT OF 2014”

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the

Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 3 of Republic Act No. 9263, as amended, is hereby

amended by adding two new paragraphs to read as follows:

“SEC. 3. Organization and Key Positions of the BFP and BJMP. -

‘The BFP ... x xx

‘The heads of the BFP ... xx x

The BFP and the BUMP ... xx x


THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR SHALL DESIGNATE IN EVERY FIRE
STATION, AT LEAST ONE (1) UNIFORMED PERSONNEL PER
SHIFT, REGARDLESS OF RANK, TO ACT AS EMERGENCY
MEDICALTECHNICIAN WHOWILL SUPERVISE FIRE OFFICERS

INRESPONDING 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, ENDOTRACHEAL INTUBATIONS AND
CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION ADMINISTERING
MEDICATIONS ORALLY AND INTRAVENOUSLY, AND USING
AUTOVATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR AND OTHER

COMPLEX EMERGENCY MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.”

SECTION 2.Section 8 of the same Act, as amended, is hereby 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 BFP and the BUMP 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.


THE BFP AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH) SHALL
DESIGN AND ESTABLISH A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS AND OTHER RELEVANT
TRAININGS THAT WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE FIRE BASIC

RECRUIT COURSE (FBRC).

UPON THEIR APPOINTMENT, THE NEWLY ABSORBED FIRE
OFFICER 1 (FOl) OF THE BFP MUST UNDERGO AND
COMPLETE THE FIRE BASIC RECRUIT COURSE (FBRC),
WHICH SHALL PROVIDE THE FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS NECESSARY TO MEET THE MINIMUM
STANDARDS OF FIRE PERSONNEL COMPETENCE, INCLUDING
ADVANCED FIRST AID AND EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONSE
AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN COURSES. THE
COMPONENTS AND COURSE DESCRIPTION OF THE FIRE
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. GRADUATES OF THE FIRE
BASIC RECRUIT COURSE SHALL BE ISSUED THE
APPROPRIATE CERTIFICATIONS AS MEDICAL FIRST
RESPONDER AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN,

ACCORDINGLY.


UNIFORMED PERSONNEL WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE
SERVICE AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2022 SHALL BE GIVEN FIVE
(5) YEARS TO OBTAIN THE MINIMUM CERTIFICATION
REQUIREMENT AS MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDER: PROVIDED,
THAT UNIFORMED BFP PERSONNEL WHO HAVE RENDERED
MORE THAN FIFTEEN (15) YEARS OF SERVICE AS OF
DECEMBER 31, 2022 SHALL NO LONGER BE REQUIRED TO
COMPLY WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED CERTIFICATION AS
MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDER OR AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL

TECHNICIAN.

THE BFP PERSONNEL DESIGNATED AS FIRE STATION
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN MUST POSSESS THE
APPROPRIATE CERTIFICATION AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL
TECHNICIAN IN ADDITION TO THEIR TRAINING AND

CERTIFICATION AS MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDER.”

SECTION 3. Should any part of this Act be declared unconstitutional or
invalid, the other parts or provisions hereof not affected thereby shall

continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 4. All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, implementing
rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of

this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.


SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication

in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,