US gov’t donates equipment to BFP

The US government will donate $150,000 worth of equipment to help the Bureau of Fire Protection fight chemical, biological and radiological agents.

The equipment will be received by the BFP in a ceremony on Tuesday at the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

US embassy deputy chief of mission Paul Jones will formally hand the equipment to the BFP’s Special Rescue Unit.

The donation includes a rapid response trailer, chemical detection equipment, air compressors, decontamination clothing and kits, evidence collection equipment, hazardous material safety gear, and various types of medical and triage tools.

The BFP’s Special Rescue Unit was part of a group of Philippine law enforcement, public safety, and health officials who were trained on the use of the equipment during a three-week course in January. The Weapons of Mass Destruction First Responder Operations seminar was conducted by the US Department of State’s Anti-terrorism Assistance Program, one of several training seminars conducted in the Philippines since 2005 under the ATA Program.

Among the 30 course participants were from the BFP’s Special Rescue Unit, Philippine National Police Special Action Force, PNP Bomb Data Center, Department of Health, Metro Manila Development Authority, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Makati City government, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Public Safety College, and Office of Civil Defense. – Pia Lee-Brago