An Assessment of Fire Preparedness Within Lagos State Government Facilities in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State

Abstract

Fire outbreaks in rapidly urbanizing areas, particularly affecting public facilities, come with significant losses. These could range from critical record loss to disruption of public services and potential casualties. Fire preparedness in such facilities is thus critical. This study assessed the dynamics of fire preparedness of Lagos State government facilities in Lagos Mainland LGA, a highly urbanized region. Specifically, facilities were mapped, and their distribution was analyzed. Available fire preparedness equipment and staff fire safety knowledge were also evaluated. A combination of fieldwork, direct observation, and social survey was employed for data collection. Twenty-one (21) facilities were identified, coordinates retrieved, and mapped accordingly. A total of 105 staff members of the facilities were randomly selected for questionnaire administration. Sampled facilities were found to be randomly distributed with a nearest neighbour index of 1.0472. All the facilities were within a 2km buffer of fire stations, but fire safety equipment across the facilities was largely inadequate. The highest fire preparedness index attained was 0.5 out of 1.0, indicating generally low scores across the board. Fire drills and training of staff were largely lacking, even though 72% indicated personal knowledge of the use of fire extinguishers. Urgent retrofitting of facilities with modern equipment and mandatory quarterly fire drills, among others, were recommended.