By The Star Staff
United Firefighters Union of Puerto Rico (SBUPR by its initials in Spanish) President José Tirado warned Monday that any reform of the construction permit system should not exclude fire inspections, stating that safety “cannot be sacrificed in the name of administrative agility.”
“The current Fire Prevention Code was created in blood, following the Dupont Plaza Hotel tragedy in 1986, where 99 people died due to a lack of basic controls on materials, exits, alarms, and emergency planning,” Tirado said in a written statement.
The union spoke out against proposals such as an administrative memo from the Department of Economic Development and Commerce, which seeks to expedite permit renewals, without considering the impact of excluding the fire inspector.
“This isn’t about being against progress; it’s about ensuring that progress doesn’t cost lives,” the union leader added. “We agree that entrepreneurs and citizens deserve a flexible system, without compromising safety.”
Since the passage of Law 43 of 1988, firefighters have been actively involved in reviewing construction projects, and according to the union, their involvement has saved lives and prevented tragedies in schools, hospitals, shopping centers and other facilities.
The SBUPR proposed that permitting system reform include strengthening the Technical Division of the Firefighters Bureau and that inspectors continue to evaluate projects in stages, including field visits when the risk level warrants it.