SCUTTLEBUTT

Fire-breathing crook

Considering it is one of the busiest cities in the country, it is hard to envision many Quezon City establishments as being vulnerable to fire due to the failure of the local government to check fire safety requirements.

Quezon City Fire Department (QCFD) sources revealed a backlog of over 30,000 of more than 70,000 businesses that have yet to be inspected for their safety compliance.

The main culprit is graft, a businessman pointed out, as the new Fire Marshal requires as SOP (standard operating procedure) a substantial fee for every Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC) issued.

SOP is an acronym for a bribe or grease money given to government officials to facilitate the release of permits and licenses.

Fire inspectors, particularly the “veterans” at the QCFD, had indicated their protest by refusing to conduct inspections since they are being required by their superior to hand over P5,000 for each signature affixed to the inspection certificate.

“That’s only the minimum,” one of the QCFD oldtimers told DAILY TRIBUNE on condition of anonymity. He said the amount will have to be paid by the applicant, whom the fire inspectors will have to convince if they want their FSIC signed at once.

“It’s like asking them (applicants) for a bribe. Or we are extorting them. We take some risks in that. Better not to have them inspected,” one of the fire inspectors said.

The new chief has brought with him two new inspectors which the city firemen call “strikers” manning the city’s “one-stop shop,” where the bigger SOP deals are managed. A one-story establishment or warehouse, for example, with premises of 1,500 square meters has to shell out P100,000 for SOP.

All other SFIC applicants, on the other hand, have to pay out P15,000 for their FSICs to be processed.