With an overwhelming 236 votes, the House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on third and final reading a bill requiring Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel to be certified medical first responders and emergency medical technicians.
House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez said the requirement under House Bill (HB) 6512 “will save lives.”
“In emergency situations like a fire, an earthquake or a road accident, BFP personnel are often, if not always, the first responders. They have to have adequate basic medical training to assist and save victims,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“This is the reason why fire departments in many countries, including our own BFP, are mandated to have emergency medical service (EMS) units,” he said.
Romualdez added that the type and quality of training EMS personnel receive “can spell life or death for persons needing immediate medical assistance.”
He cited the recent case of a popular American football player who collapsed after tackling an opponent during a nationally televised game.
The player suffered cardiac arrest and his heart stopped beating. First responders administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him for 10 minutes before he was taken to a hospital. Many American doctors said the CPR given by responding personnel saved the player’s life.
They have also predicted that he could soon return to professional football.
“Ideally, that is the emergency response we want to achieve with the required certification and training for our BPF-EMS personnel under House Bill No. 6512,” Speaker Romualdez said.
The proposed law would amend Section 4 of Republic Act (RA) No. 11589, otherwise known as the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Modernization Act. It is principally authored by Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop.
It would require the BFP regional director to designate in every fire station at least one uniformed employee, regardless of rank, to act as an emergency medical technician who will supervise fire officers in responding to medical emergencies.
The bill defines an emergency medical technician as “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 automated external defibrillator and other complex emergency medical equipment.”