Official page of the BFP North Leyte Provincial Office led by FSUPT GENALYN T CABASAL, DSC, serving the largest province in Region 8 with 41 fire stations It is under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. The BFP is responsible for ensuring public safety through the prevention or suppression of all destructive fires on buildings, houses, and other similar structure, forests, and land transportation vehicles and equipment, ships/vessels docked at piers, wharves or anchored at major seaports, petroleum industry installations. It is also responsible for the enforcement of the Fire Code of the Philippines (PD 1185) and other related laws, conduct investigations involving fire incidents and causes thereof including the filing of appropriate complaints/cases. The BFP was formed from the units of the Integrated National Police's Office of Fire Protection Service on January 29, 1991 through Republic Act No. 6975, which created the present Interior Department and placed the provision of fire services under its control. Republic Act No. 6975, or the Department of Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, took effect on January 1, 1991 and paved the way for the establishment of the Philippine National Police, BFP and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology as separate entities. Specifically, the Fire Bureau's charter was created under Chapter IV (Section 53 to 59) and carried-out through the provisions of Rule VII (Sections 49 to 58) of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the act. The organization was then placed under the direct supervision of the DILG undersecretary for peace and order. The Appropriation Act of 1991 also caused the inaugural operation of the BFP on August 2, 1991 as a distinct agency of the government, with the initial preparation of its operation plans and budget (OPB) undertaken by the staff of the Office of the National Chief Fire Marshal at Camp Crame, Quezon City headed by F/Brigadier General Ernesto Madriaga, INP (1990–1992), which took over from the long reign of F/Major Primo D. Cordeta (Ret.), the first chief fire marshal (1978–1989). Madriaga served as the BFP's first acting fire chief/director from 1991 to 1992. In 2021, Republic Act No.11589, or the BFP Modernization Act, was enacted into law, mandating the implementation of a ten year program to modernize the BFP. The law also enabled the creation of security and protection units (SPUs) in each regional and city fire station and allowed 14 members at most per SPU to bare fi****ms. The bureau is headed by a chief, and is assisted by a deputy chief. It has regional offices, headed by a person with the rank of chief superintendent or senior superintendent. It also has provincial offices, district offices, and city or municipal stations. Aside from fire fighting units, the bureau has a Special Rescue/HAZMAT unit, an Emergency Medical Services unit, a Special Operations Unit, an Arson Investigation Unit, the Fire Law Enforcement Service, and the National Fire Training Institute. The bureau employs a host civilian personnel and employees having no rank. Civil service employees carry their civil service grade.
