How to Be a Firefighter in the Philippines

It doesn’t only take courage to become a firefighter, but a lot of extra work. Do you possess the traits, knowledge, and skills to battle fires? Why don’t you try to join the Bureau of Fire Protection and become one of our living heroes? If you are interested to become a full-fledged firefighter who saves lives and properties, please read on.

The Philippines is in need of firefighters to keep up with the growing population. According to Presidential Decree No. 1184, the minimum fireman-to-population ratio shall be one fireman for every two thousand inhabitants, but sadly, these numbers are far from reality. Quezon City alone, with its 3.08 million inhabitants, has only 406 firefighters. This translates to a 1:7,386 firefighter to population ratio. To address this shortfall, the Bureau of Fire Protection regularly conducts recruitment for qualified applicants. Here are the qualifications and requirements if you are interested to apply:

Minimum Qualifications for FO1

• To be able to qualify for a position in the BFP as a Fire Officer 1 (FO1), an applicant must be a Filipino citizen.
• He or she must be not less than 21 years old nor more than 30 years of age.
• Height matters in the BFP. One must be at least 1.57 meters or 5’2″ in height for males and 1.52 meters or 5’0″ for females in order to qualify. For applicants who do not meet the height requirement but are members of the Indigenous Peoples or Muslim Filipinos, they can avail of the height waiver issued by the Fire Chief.
• Must weigh no more or less than 5 kilograms from the standard weight corresponding to his/her height, age and sex.
• Must be a holder of a baccalaureate degree from a government-recognized institution.
• The applicant must have the Civil Service Commission (CSC) 2nd level, RA 1080 or PD 907 Eligibility. Check this guide on how to apply for the Fire Officer Examination conducted by the Civil Service Commission: Fire Officer Examination Schedule 2021
• A person of good moral character.
• Must pass a series of evaluations and tests, i.e. neuro-psychiatric, medical, and drug tests, to determine the physical and mental health of the applicant.
• Must not have been dishonorably discharged or dismissed for cause from previous employment; and
• Must not have been convicted by final judgment of an offense or crime involving moral turpitude.
• No training or experience is required.

The applicants who are able to drive and holders of Professional Driver’s License with Restriction 2 and 3  and holders of NCII in Driving issued by TESDA will be prioritized. This is to address the wide gap between the driver to firetruck ratio.

RA 11549, signed by Duterte on Wednesday, lowers the minimum height requirement for male applicants in the said law enforcement agencies from 1.62 meters to 1.57 meters.

For female applicants, the original height limit of 1.57 meters is lowered to 1.52 meters.

Fire Officer I Requirements

The journey to your future career as a firefighter starts with the application process. But before taking the first step, prepare the following documentary requirements first. Here they are:

1. 1. An application letter indicating the position and item you are applying for.
   2. A fully-accomplished Personal Data Sheet (CSC Form 212 Revised 2017). It must be handwritten using a black ballpen only. Do not use a sign pen.
   3. Copy of authenticated Transcript of Records and College Diploma;
   4. Photocopy of authenticated Certificate of Eligibility from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) or Report of Rating/Board Rating authenticated by Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
   5. Photocopy of Certificate of Live Birth issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
   6. For married applicants, please submit a copy of the Certificate of Marriage issued by the PSA.
   7. Authenticated copy of the following: Barangay clearance, Mayor, Police Clearance, RTC, MTC and NBI Clearances;
   8. Certificates of Training, if any;
   9. A certification from a government health facility or a DOH-accredited private laboratory that the following laboratory examinations were performed:
      • ECG
      • Urinalysis
      • CBC with blood-typing
      • Hepa-B Screening
      • Cholesterol
      • Creatinine
      • Chest X-Ray
      • Fasting Blood Sugar
      • Serum Pregnancy Test (for female applicants)
      • Dental Panoramic X-Ray

Submit all the following documents in a properly tabbed folder to the Human Resource Management Division of BFP National Headquarters or any BFP Regional Offices near you. For more information, you may contact:

Recruitment and Selection Section
Bureau of Fire Protection-National Headquarters (BFP-NHQ)
Agham Rd, Bagong Pag-asa, Quezon City, 1105 Metro Manila
Tel. Nos. (+632) 426-02-19/426-02-46 loc. 205.

Fire Officer 1 Salary Grade and Benefits

A newly recruited Fire Officer 1 will enjoy a salary of Php 29,668.00 or a Salary Grade 10. In addition to the basic salary, you shall be entitled to longevity pay, daily hazard pay as well as clothing and food allowances. Since you are working in the government, you shall enjoy the security of tenure and free advance training and seminars.

Tips to Become a Fire Officer in the BFP

As I said earlier, becoming a firefighter involves lots of extra work. Passing the Fire Officer Examination and the application process is just the tip of the iceberg. To increase your chances of passing the selection process and training, we compiled a list of tips for would-be fire officers. Here they are:

1. Be Ready

Make sure that you are serious about becoming a firefighter. It is not just an ordinary job. The firefighter’s job is a tough and challenging one. It takes commitment, dedication, and determination to serve the protection of the people.

2. Become a Volunteer

You will raise the chances of passing to the roof once they found out that you were previously a volunteer firefighter. If given a chance, become a volunteer to get an idea of the role of a firefighter and the operation of a fire department.

3. Be Physically Fit

Being physically fit will help you pass rigid training as a Fire Officer. To give you an idea of what lies ahead, you’ll be carrying a dummy much heavier than you or holding a high-pressure fire hose on the training. Similarly, an agility test is required to qualify for the training program. In order to pass the agility test, you must train yourself on cardio exercises, pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups even before submitting the application requirements.

4. Prepare Early for the Application

The first thing you have to do is to secure first the Certificate of Eligibility or the Board rating months before filing the application. Getting these requirements takes time especially if you are from the provinces. The next step is to obtain those requirements from the regional offices and lastly, the ones from the local government offices.

5. Do not Hesitate to Ask

Go to your local BFP Fire Station and ask a fire officer about his experiences in the recruitment process to give you an idea of what lies ahead of you.

Conclusion

Being a firefighter is a noble profession. Not everyone can put their lives on the line to save people they do not know. If you are interested to become one, think twice or even thrice. Are you ready to save lives while putting yours in danger? If yes, what are you waiting for? Take action now! Good luck.