JULY 7, 2015

NR # 3888

Solon seeks creation of Fire Truck Driver-Mechanic position

in BFP to resolve shortage of 1,460 fire truck drivers
A lawmaker is seeking the creation of the position of Fire Truck Driver-Mechanic at the
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to address the shortage of fire truck drivers at the agency, now
reaching 1,460, and to level the playing field for those belonging to poor families who could not
afford to bring their children to college, by lowering the education requirements for the BFP
applicants.
Rep. Samuel D. Pagdilao (Party-list, ACT-CIS) said the BFP is now in dire need of fire
truck driver-mechanics because most of the driver-pump operators either have resigned or almost
in the age of retiring.
To date, the BFP has 1,574 serviceable fire trucks and 374 fire trucks from local
government units (LGUs). It is also expecting the delivery of 469 fire trucks this year, 40 fire
trucks due for procurement this year under the General Appropriations Act (GAA), 33 fire trucks
for the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) under the Transition Investment
Support Program (TISP), and 93 fire trucks due for procurement this year out of the Fire Code
Fees collection. This would bring us to a total of 2,583 fire trucks, said Pagdilao.
Pagdilao, a vice chairman of the House Committee on Public Order and Security, said the
desired ratio of fire truck and driver is two drivers per fire truck.
Thus, the BFP needs 5,166 fire truck drivers to cover the same. At present the BFP has
only 3,706 fire truck drivers, giving us a shortage of 1,460 fire truck drivers that must be filled up
as soon as possible so as not to hamper public service. Besides this, an average of 75 truck
drivers are retiring every year without replacement, thus immediate hiring of fire truck drivers is
very imminent, said Pagdilao.
The retired Philippine National Police (PNP) general and former director of the Criminal
Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said his proposal will not only resolve the lack of fire
truck drivers but will also level the playing field for those belonging to poor families who could
not afford to bring their children to college, by lowering the education requirements for the BFP
applicants.
Pagdilao explained that driver-mechanics who are high school graduates and also NC3
TESDA certified or from private institutions, which are TESDA-accredited, may be admitted to
the BFP provided that the applicants pass all the examinations, including the entrance test
administered by the bureau.
Pagdilaos proposal is embodied in House Bill 5809, or the proposed Fire Truck
Driver/Mechanic Act of 2015 which provides for the creation of a Uniformed Fire Truck Officer
(FTO) in the BFP with the designation of Fire Truck Driver-Mechanic.

Among the minimum qualifications of the fire truck driver-mechanic are: must be 21 to 35
years old at the time of his appointment; must be at least a high school graduate from a
recognized school of learning; must be a duly certified mechanic by the TESDA or by any private
institution accredited by TESDA; must be a driver (NC3) and must possess a valid professional
drivers license with restriction 1,2,and 3; of good moral character; and must have passed the
neuro-psychiatric/psychological, drug and physical tests for determining his/her physical and
mental health.
Successful applicants shall have the entry position as Fire truck Officer 1 (FTO1) with the
designation as Fire Truck Driver-Mechanic. They shall be entitled to Salary Grade 6 for FTO1,
Salary Grade 7 for FTO2, and Salary Grade 8 for FTO3. Their appointment shall be made by the
respective BFP Regional Director or by the BFP Chief for appointment in the national
headquarters and attested by the Civil Service Commission (CSC).
As uniformed BFP personnel, fire truck officers shall undergo a 30-day mandatory
training in accordance with the Program of Instruction (POI) to be formulated by the National
Fire Training Institute (NFTI).
A Fire Truck Officer shall not be eligible for promotion to FTO1 unless he or she has
complied with the minimum qualification standard requirements set forth by Republic Act 9263.
However, FTO1 shall be eligible for promotion to FTO2 and thereafter to FTO3 in accordance
with the existing rules and regulations set by the CSC and criteria for promotion to be established
by the BFP. (30) rbb