Impact of adjacency of spaces in fire service station on fire crew response time

Abstract

The fire has contributed positively to man development from time immemorial till today. But it also has its own negative aspect; people had lost virtually all they had in a single fire incidence including their life. It is in light of this negative side of fire that the fire service was established to prevent and extinguish fire and other emergencies that threaten the lives and properties of the people. These fire stations in Nigeria have challenges which result in late response to fire incidence and it is on this backdrop the research evolved. The research adopts an analytic approach; Systematic sampling was employed in choosing appropriate case study facilities. 36 questionnaires administered, 4 were not returned which forms about 11.1% of the total administered questionnaires. A total of 32 questionnaires were filled and returned forming 88.9% of the total administered questionnaires. A checklist was used to investigate the availability of essential activity spaces in the fire stations. Four stations were case studied. The data obtained were analysed using simple statistical method and results were presented in a simple descriptive tool (tables and figures). The research revealed that each Nigeria fire station lack one activity space or the other which is essential for a timely response like, dormitory, kitchen/dining space, day room, watchtower, etc. Beside activity spaces, adjacency of spaces is a lacking essential factor, time is lost in travelling from the gates of these fire stations to the watch room/dispatch during run-in calls, and time is also lost when firemen have to travel from different part of the station to the apparatus bay to respond to a fire call. The research then recommends the remodelling of the existing stations and a template for the design of sustainable on time fire station.