Olivia Barredo
March 23, 2023

Fire permits have a lot of standards and regulations that must be followed, and getting approval for these may not be the easiest thing to do, but is absolutely necessary when running your own business. Making sure you have the go signal from experts and appropriate offices can help ensure the safety of not only your life, but also the lives of your employees, and of course, your business. In the Philippines, the necessary certification you will need is the Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC) issued by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). But how do you get a fire permit in the first place? Thankfully, we’ve made a comprehensive summary as to how to go about getting one! 

What You Will Need

The whole process takes approximately 2 days, and should regularly be done once each year or when the client shall renew their business permit. However, before actually being able to avail of the service, you will need to fill out and prepare some necessary documents and application forms to the BFP. Here is a list of what you will need:

• A photocopy of you Electrical Inspection Certification

• Photocopy of a Fire Insurance Policy (if any)

• Official receipt of a Fire Code Fee paid in the present year

 For a Fire Permit renewal, all you will need is your Fire Safety Inspection Certification from the previous year.

Steps Involved in Getting A Permit

Go to the BFP and submit all the necessary requirements.

This is where all the planning takes place. The BFP will secure and evaluate your submitted requirements and will notify you regarding the schedule of your inspection. This step should ideally take 20 minutes to complete.

Inspection.

On the day of the inspection, a team from the BFP will visit the venue to assess the establishment. It is important that you also be present when they conduct the inspection in order to be aware of what needs to be fixed, updated, or changed. They will prepare the FSIC and specify whether the establishment fully complies with the standards of the Fire Code of the Philippines, otherwise known as the RA 9514.

Grace Period*

If the BFP identifies potential risks, defects, or deficiencies that do not comply with RA 9514, a grace period will be given to the client or business owner to amend these issues and comply. The client or business owner will again have to accompany the BFP team during the inspection and will be required to answer all the necessary queries regarding the changes they have made. Otherwise, a letter will be sent to the client informing them of non-compliance, which ultimately, will result into a non-issuance of a FSIC. 

Re-inspection*

After the grace period, the BFP will return to conduct a re-inspection to ensure that the establishment has complied with the Fire Code fully. A Fire Safety Inspection Report will be made. 

Issuing of FSIC.

If there are no adverse findings during the inspection or re-inspection, the client will then be informed that the FSIC can be issued the next day. A Municipal Fire Martial will issue the certificate at the BFP, so it is also necessary for the client to visit the BFP once again to secure the certificate. 

Being issued a FSIC is an imperative need for any business, as it certifies the safety of your establishment. Still, despite having a FSIC, it is also important to be proactive about fire safety. Even with all the necessary fire safety measures in the building, there are things you can do as an individual that can further prevent the start of any unexpected fires. Considering that the hot season is well underway, being cautious is just another step to take to keep your business safe!