The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) – Baguio City Fire Station headed by City Fire Marshal, FSupt. Marisol H. Odiver warned the public against unscrupulous individuals posing as members of the fire safety brigade and charging fees for fire safety inspection services.
The warning was issued after a concerned citizen reported the presence of individuals posing as “bantay sunog brigade” going house-to-house supposedly conducting fire safety inspection and charging P9,000 in exchange of a gas regulator with hose.
“They claim that they were allowed by the barangay officials to sell house-to-house,” the concerned citizen said.
Odiver said only BFP personnel are authorized to conduct fire safety inspection with the appropriate Inspection Order signed by the fire chief and that personnel must be in uniform with proper identification.
“There shall be no fee to be collected during the conduct of inspection. Regulatory fees with BFP must be paid at the office with official receipt,” Odiver reiterated.
She said this modus is similar to other tricks by unscrupulous individuals in previous years where residents are scammed into buying fire extinguishers from persons pretending to be employees or representatives of the BFP.
Odiver appeals to the public to be vigilant and know the persons whom they are dealing with by asking for their identification card or by immediately reporting the same to the BFP-Baguio City Fire Station with telephone numbers 443-7089/442-2222 or hotline 09124096114. – JM Samidan
