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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

The world has witnessed an alarming increase in the frequency and severity of disasters. A global overview by Swiss Re (2016) stated that there was a total of 353 catastrophe events in the world in 2015 out of which 198 were natural disasters and 155 man made.  Evidences show that most cases of disasters are fire incidences which occur due to anthropogenic factors, coupled with a near absence of efficient disaster mitigating approaches like the use of fire hydrants in our cities.  Disasters have catastrophic effects upon the community and community life in the countries exposed to disaster. Considering especially the last ten years, damage caused by disasters decreased in developed countries with the help of the precautions taken,  in contrast to developing countries such as Nigeria where the reverse remains the case due to lack of or inadequate sectorial integration with the relevant disaster risk management agencies before, during and after disaster (UN, 2009; EM-DAT, 2010). Most cities in Nigeria cannot cope with the continuous geometric increase in rural-urban migration; this has resulted into un-regulated and haphazard development of suburban and peri-urban areas. In the event of fire incidences, access to these un-planned areas remain a mirage as the populace is left hapless. Factors which continue to exacerbate disasters can be reduced or mitigated with an effective Disaster and Emergency Management (DEM) approach, which should be considered as an integrated system before, during and after disaster occurs. Integrated DEM includes all valuable resources of all disaster types and emergencies related to the phases of DEM. Integrated definition of DEM means all social, economic, political and cultural factors are taken into account. All organizational and communication methods for implementation of integrated model are determined according to policies of each country and disaster zones (Bhugra, 2005; GRSP, 2007; Vakis, 2006).

Fire has been said to be a very good servant, but a very bad master. This is because, as long as fire is under our control, it serves a lot of useful purposes, but once it goes out of man’s control, it creates a lot of destruction. However, despite the presence of fire safety measures, the occurrence of fire accidents is oftentimes inevitable. Fire disaster occurs in every part of the world where humans dwell. Cross River State and Calabar is no exception. There have been countless incidences of fire outbreaks in Calabar in the past years, most of which caused significant damage before being effectively controlled.

Fire hydrants are important municipal installations, placed at strategic positions to assist in putting out fires during an outbreak. There are above-ground connections that provide access to water supply primarily for the purpose of fighting fire and alternatively for some other municipal activities such as construction works and other outdoor water needs. Every hydrant has one or more outlets to which a fire hose may be connected. To provide sufficient water for fire-fighting, hydrants are sized to provide a minimum flow-rate of about 945 liters per minute. The need for fire hydrants developed with the advent of underground water systems in the 1600‟s after installation of hollowed-out log pipes in England. As cities grew, so did their water systems and also the need for a more effective fire management system. Water is the most cost-effective fire suppressant and the fire hydrants gained more importance as fire departments and tax payers alike realized that strategically placed, high-capacity hydrants can significantly reduce the impacts of fire hazards (Madehow, 2016). In Calabar however, the data provided by the Cross River Water Board Limited (CRSWBL) showed that there were only 11 hydrants serviced by the Board in the Municipal. While it is the responsibility of CRSWBL to provide water for the hydrants, it is the duty of the Fire Departments (the Federal Fire Service [FFS] stationed at Margret Ekpo International Airport and the Cross River State Fire Service [CRSFS] stationed at Mary Slessor Avenue) to manage and utilize the fire hydrants.

Today, it is not just enough to have functional fire installations such as the fire hydrants. The major bane for achieving an effective Fire Disaster Management (FDM) in Calabar is accurate geo-data (Samadi, et al, 2009; Ware, 2003). Since GIS can analyze intensive data volumes and is highly effective in responding to spatial queries, it can be used in the analysis of data concerning urban fires. When the cost-benefit results of GIS are compared with economic losses that occur as a result of fire, it can be argued that GIS provides a relative economic solution. In practice, the formation of fire analysis for urban areas is not common. Similarly, studies based on GIS supported fire analysis are very limited. The non-existence of spatial geo-data, maps and a holistic spatial assessment of FDM by the relevant fire service agencies in Calabar has led to complexity in response phase and hampers coordination between actors involved in FDM in the Municipal.

 

1.2     Statement of Problem

Calabar is the capital city of Cross River State in the South-South region of Nigeria. It comprises of Calabar Municipality and  Local Government Areas (LGA). There are 22 Wards in both LGAs, 10 in the latter and 12 in the former. It was the capital of the Southern Protectorate of Nigeria until 1904 and one of the earliest seats of Local Government Administration in the then Eastern Region up to 1952 (Wikipedia, 2016). It lies between longitudes 801810011 to 802410011E and latitudes 405410011N to 500410011N (figure 1). It is bounded by the Calabar River to the West, Great Kwa River to the East, Odukpani LGA to the North and the creeks of the Cross River as it empties into the Atlantic Ocean in the South. Calabar had a population of 328,878 in 1991 according to the National Population Commission (NPC, 1996). In 2006, the population of the area amounted to a total of 375,196. With a continued development of the City, the projected population for 2015 was given as 529,362. Under the Koppen-Geiger climate classification, the municipal’s climate is classified as tropical. Like other tropical areas, rainfall is significant in most months of the year and the short dry season has little effect. The average annual temperature is 26.1o Celsius and the average annual rainfall 2750mm (climate-data.org, 2016). The wet season lasts between April and October while the dry season spans from November to March of the following year. This has implications to emergency fire outbreaks and subsequent mitigation and management which this study seeks to investigate. Human and economic losses from disasters remain a menace to the national economic life. The damage caused by disaster is unquantifiable; and varies with the geographical location, climate and the type of earth surface or degrees of vulnerability. These influence the mental, socio-economic, political and cultural state of people in the affected area, thus leading to economic imbalance and instability to the country at large. Yet, government only plans when there is disaster, refuting preparedness and preventive mechanisms. This paper advocates that emergency management at local level will facilitate safety and protection of lives and property which is a fundamental function of government at any level; and of course, the above statement justifies the rationale and philosophy behind its need and importance at local level. It further highlights the lapses in the preparedness of the emergency management agency in the study area in lieu of the provision of fire hydrants which are proven installations for effective FDM and fire service operations in cities today.  Hence, this study on fire service operations, problems and prospects: a case study of Calabar Municipality.

 

1.3     Research Objectives

This study was carried out with the aim of examining the problems and prospects of fire service operation in Nigeria, using Calabar municipality as a case study. The specific objectives are;

1. To examine the level of knowledge of best practices among workers and operatives,
2. To investigate the availability and effective use of necessary equipment in consistency with global best practice
3. To evaluate the perception of residents to fire disaster management and fire service awareness in the area
4. To proffer solutions that will enhance the performance and delivery of the fire service operations

 

1.4     Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study based on the research objectives;

1. What is the level of knowledge of best practices among workers and operatives?
2. What is the availability and effective use of necessary equipment in consistency with global best practice?
3. What is the perception of residents to fire disaster management and fire hydrants awareness in the area?

 

1.5     Significance of the Study

This study seeks to examine the problems and prospects of fire service operation in Nigeria, using Calabar municipality as a case study. This study will provide information on recent data and happenings in the study area, as well as deliver reliable basis for informed decision making for the concerned authorities.

This study will contribute to the existing body of literature on the subject matter as well as provide a reference for future research works that may be related to this. The government (both federal and state), major stakeholders and the public stand to benefit from the results and information from this project, hence its importance.