Firefighters discuss streamlining services.
In a public hearing, the Tocantins Fire Department discussed changes with various sectors of society to expedite the inspection and project approval process. Among the suggestions from the Fire Department's technical team is the elimination of the annual accreditation fee of R$ 60 for professionals and R$ 80 for companies with the Command. Another suggested change is the exemption from project approvals for buildings or risk areas with a constructed area of less than 200 m². In total, 32 technical standards will be analyzed by the Fire Department. A new hearing will be held to continue the discussion.
Tocantins 247 - Aiming to safeguard citizen safety, the Tocantins Fire Department held a public hearing on Monday afternoon, the 13th, to discuss with various organized segments of society, proposals for changes regarding the regularization and inspection of buildings in Tocantins. Engineers, business owners, and firefighters presented suggestions aimed at expediting the inspection and approval process of projects, focusing on safety and accident prevention.
According to the Fire Department commander, Colonel Dodsley Yuri Tenório Vargas, the goal is to streamline processes and, consequently, triple the number of inspections carried out by the agency. Currently, 380 inspections are conducted per month. "We want to eliminate as much formalism and bureaucracy as possible and legally seek the best way to facilitate this process for companies and professionals," he emphasized at the opening of the event.
The main focus of the hearing was to listen to the general public, as well as experts and technicians, regarding the constitutional role of the Fire Department in conducting inspections and fighting fires.
"There is a gap between existing establishments and the inspections carried out. We need to move forward and promote safety for the population of Tocantins. We are going to change this situation; we want the state to grow. This is a government of change for improvements, so that buildings are regularized and companies can have the opportunity to find a suitable environment to formalize their projects. We are here to promote safety," he said.
Inspections and safety measures against fire and the regularization of low- and medium-risk buildings, classified as Fire Prevention and Control Plan (Placip), were discussed, with a view to expediting the licensing of micro-enterprises, small businesses and individual micro-entrepreneurs, under the terms of Law 1787/2007, which deals with fire safety.
Changes
Among the suggestions from the Fire Department's technical team is the elimination of the annual accreditation fee of R$ 60 for professionals and R$ 80 for companies with the Command. If the suggestions are approved, the procedure will be done online and will be valid for one year. The regulation also stipulates that any irregularities by professionals and companies will be subject to notification and, consequently, suspension or cancellation of accreditation.
The request for regularization with the Fire Department must be made through a formal request from the owner or person responsible for the use, as governed by Technical Standard No. 28, which specifies the procedure, requirements and demands for the accreditation of companies and responsible parties with the institution.
The Fire Department's technical analyst, Major José Coelho de Oliveira, explained to those present the content of technical standards 01, 32, and 28, all from 2007, which need to be updated. Three technical committees are studying the suggestions.
Another suggested change is the exemption from project approvals for buildings or high-risk areas with a constructed area of less than 200 m². Even if the inspection exemption is approved, the owner will still have to install fire safety measures and submit a declaration that must be completed on the Fire Department's website.
The streamlining of procedures that the Fire Department is studying aims to eliminate the requirement for certain documents, such as a copy of the invoice for refilling fire extinguishers. Another point being discussed is the proposal to reduce the advance notice period for requesting temporary events from 10 to five days.
According to the president of the Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy (Crea), Marcelo Maia, the Fire Department's initiative is necessary. "It's necessary to streamline processes; this attitude from the Fire Department is viable and commendable. This process must happen through consensus among professionals, but thinking first and foremost about society, which is the one that needs it most," he said.
The president of the Commercial Association of Paraíso do Tocantins and businessman in the entertainment industry, Antonio Carlos Cabral, requested a meeting with all business owners to discuss the regulations and approved the discussion. "I see the change in a positive light. This is the right path. The process of establishing new businesses will benefit from this reduction in bureaucracy. What the corporation is proposing is a step forward for us business owners," he assessed.
Representatives from labor unions, as well as the Brazilian Service for Support to Micro and Small Businesses (Sebrae), the Union of Engineers, Architects and Geologists in the State of Tocantins (Seageto), the Brazilian Institute of Architects, and the Civil Construction Industry Union (Sinduscon) participated in the hearing.
The minutes from Monday's meeting will be sent to all professionals who participated in the hearing so they can formally submit their suggestions. In total, 32 technical standards will be analyzed by the Fire Department. A new hearing will be held to continue the discussion. (From Secom)