OPTIMIZING EMERGNCY RESPONSE RESOURCES: A CASE STUDY ON

IMPLEMENTING ALTERNATIVE WATER REFILLING SOLUTIONS FOR BFP's

TANKERS

A Case Study Presented to the

Faculty of Institute of Criminal Justice Education
Gov. Alfonso D. Tan College
Maloro, Tangub City

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINOLOGY

Kenneth Lorenz H. Dura

July 2024
Introduction

The shortage of fire hydrants is a critical issue impacting public safety and

emergency response capabilities in many communities worldwide. Fire hydrants are

essential components of municipal water supply systems, providing firefighters with a

readily accessible source of water to combat fires swiftly and effectively. However,

various factors can contribute to a shortage of fire hydrants, including aging

infrastructure, inadequate funding for maintenance and replacement, urban development

without corresponding expansion of water infrastructure, and even instances of vandalism

or theft. The consequences of a fire hydrant shortage can be severe. In the event of a fire,

delays in accessing water due to insufficient hydrants can result in increased property

damage, loss of life, and heightened risk to both civilians and firefighters. Additionally,

insufficient hydrants can impede fire department efforts to contain and extinguish fires,

potentially allowing them to spread unchecked.

According to (Savage, 2018), Living in a neighborhood with no access to fire

hydrants not only means a different response from firefighters, but it also means

homeowners are likely paying a higher home insurance premium. In some cases, it could

mean the difference of thousands of dollars each year. Addressing the shortage of fire

hydrants requires a multifaceted approach, including investment in infrastructure

maintenance and expansion, strategic placement of hydrants in high-risk areas,

implementation of robust monitoring and maintenance protocols, and community

education on the importance of preserving and protecting these vital resources. As (Marc,

2017) added, Fire hydrants are often overlooked until they are needed in an emergency.

These crucial pieces of infrastructure provide firefighters with the water they need to
control and extinguish fires. However, if a fire hydrant is not maintained properly, it may

not work when it is needed most. In the UK, it is essential that fire hydrants are regularly

inspected and tested to ensure they are in good working order. By prioritizing fire hydrant

maintenance, we can help ensure the safety of our communities in the event of a fire.

Aside from lack of fire hydrant and lack maintenance to fire hydrants, it is also important

to consider the water pressure of the hydrants to ensure the to ensure that the fire trucks

are refilled quickly. According to (Parks, 2018), Loss of adequate water pressure can

have a negative impact on firefighting when firefighters are unable to get enough water to

suppress fires. Opening hydrants also poses a safety issue for young children who could

easily be hurt from the high water pressure.

Particularly, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel in Tangub City have

faced numerous different experiences as they had their duties on different areas during

fire emergency. Most of them have faced different challenges that have tested their skills

and capabilities in handling such. In fact, based on the initial interview with them, they

usually encounter problems during fire emergencies such as fire hydrants with low water

pressure, sometimes it takes a long time for their fire truck to return and respond because

it takes a long time for them to finish refilling the fire truck's tank. These problems have

become a challenge for the BFP in fulfilling their duty to save and protect the lives and

property of the people.

This study was conducted to determine what other water refilling solutions can be

used by the Bureau of fire protection Tangub City for their tankers during fire emergency

aside from fire hydrants. The result of this study would help to innovate and develop new

ideas to improve the service of the Bureau of Fire Protection in responding to fire
emergencies. Furthermore, this would also support the City of Tangub and the

Province of Misamis Occidental in formulating plans and policies that might strengthen

the services of the office.

Literature Review

Services of the Bureau of Fire Protection

Firefighting is challenging and dangerous work to perform. This work

was described as "organized chaos" by a fire fighter. Regardless of their education and

prior firefighting experience, they are very persistent. There are some

instances where fire fighters cannot respond to routine emergency calls due to the

unpredictable nature of every fire emergency.

The Bureau of fire protection was created by R.A 6975. It upholds the ideals of

fostering public involvement and promoting fire safety, prevention, suppression,

and investigation of fire occurrence. It also ensures the availability of emergency,

medical, and rescue services. The BFP manual states that it is the role of the BFP to train

effective and responsive fire fighters who possess the highest levels of responsibility,

competence, loyalty, and honesty, as well as respect for human rights and an awareness

of the need to safeguard lives, property, environment, and national heritage.

Fire Prevention

The National Building Code Association in Kenyatta establishes

minimum criteria for fire safety devices in buildings to promote safety and reliability. It

stated that sprinkler systems have to be installed in every building. Each room should

have some smoke detectors installed in addition to the automatic sprinkler system. The
voice alarm system should always be linked to the smoke detection system. This will aid

in limit in the spread of fire or smoke and keep the residents safe and informed in a fire

emergency (Nderitu, 2019).

Building construction and post-construction phases should both address

the execution of fire safety procedures. Research has shown that following correct fire

safety practices is vital in accomplishing fire safety goals. Furthermore, the fire safety

processes are typically improved by absolute conformity with current fire

safety regulatory standards. The fire safety regulations, which include the

National Fire Protection Association, are common legislation to execute procedures

available to comply (Onderi & Makori, 2017)

Fire Suppression

At the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria, the results showed an average level

of awareness and low execution level of understanding, as well as low execution levels of

awareness regarding the number to call in case of a fire crisis, the absence of a fire safety

strategy, a lack of knowledge regarding the various types of fire extinguishers, inadequate

assessment of fire fighting equipment, the absence of an investigation and

survey of previous fire episodes, and the casual manner of switching off electrical

establishment or not being handled by skilful people. The analysis recommends

a fire security organogram for assigning responsibility and educating employees about

vital fire safety and proactive techniques (Anyanwu, et al., 2021).

To maintain
sustainability through
life safety, property
protection, operational
continuity,
environmental
protection, and
heritage preservation,
adequate fire service
facilities must be
provided. Additionally, in
terms of assessing
sustainable urbanization
with the adequacy of fire
service provision, it is
important to know the
substantial service
gaps for enhancement in
terms of fire service
facilities (Sabnani, and
Kapse, 2021)
To maintain sustainability through life safety, property protection,

operational continuity, environmental protection, and heritage preservation,

adequate fire service facilities must be provided. Additionally, in terms of assessing

sustainable urbanization with the adequacy of fire service provision, it is important to

know the substantial service gaps for enhancement in terms of fire service facilities

(Sabnani & Kapse, 2021)

Emergency Medical or Rescue Services

According to (Hamilton, et al, 2021), Emergency Medical Teams perform

best when they are effectively integrated with other participants such as national and

local government agencies, non-governmental and international organizations,

community stakeholders, and private agencies. A big barrier to effective care delivery

is a lack of coordination, which can be addressed by implementing

registration systems that allocate and match resources to areas of greatest need.
 Problems encountered
by the Bureau of Fire
Protection
Fire accidents have
grown to be a significant
issue for the Philippines
over the
past years because they
hinder the nation's
socioeconomic
development. Due to the
lack
of resources and
technological
advancements within the
Bureau of fire protection
(BFP),
firefighting operations in
the Philippines take
too long to complete;
this substandard
performance causes the
damage to increase to
the point where it is
almost impossible to
save all of the lives
affected by the fire
incident (Zadeh et al.,
2021)
Problems encountered by the Bureau of Fire Protection
 Fire accidents have grown to be a significant issue for the Philippines over the

past years because they hinder the nation's socioeconomic development. Due to the lack

of resources and technological advancements within the Bureau of fire protection (BFP),

firefighting operations in the Philippines take too long to complete; this

substandard performance causes the damage to increase to the point where it is almost

impossible to save all of the lives affected by the fire incident (Zadeh et al., 2021)

The study by (Kumba, 2017) revealed the effectiveness of several fire protection

systems. It concluded that geographical location and fire safety gear, like active and

passive measures, are two elements affecting the Bureau of Fire Protection

services. Additionally, a study on the factors that lead to numerous fire disasters in

academic institutions discovered that the main reasons were the failure of fire safety

protection systems. In some cases, the proper equipment wasn't installed to guarantee that

they were always fully operational to improve the attainment of fire safety goals. Regular

building fires are typically ascribed to malfunctioning or non-existent fire equipment,

essential for putting out and controlling fires.

According to (Grinnel, 2018), some cities must prioritize installing enhanced fire

protection equipment and facilities such as fire hydrants, proper water services systems,

alarms, and first aid kits. Expressing life-saving tools and firefighting gear in a

visible area is essential. Residents should be informed of a routine, and professionals

should be prepared to defend infrastructure using suitable firefighting tools. (Kahanji, et

al., 2019) state that between 2011 and 2019, there were more than 1,300 fire events in the

Philippines, which resulted in thousands of fatalities and more than 4 billion pesos worth

of property damage. The fire department's arrival was delayed due to challenges,
including aging fire trucks, lack of fire hydrants and low water pressure on fire hydrants

and a need for more public knowledge regarding the importance of prioritizing fire

engines and rescuers. Some fire engines have accumulated enough wear and tear over

time, making it less effective.

General Objectives

This study aims to determine what other water refilling solutions can be used by

the Bureau of fire protection Tangub City for their tankers during fire emergency aside

from fire hydrants. And also, this study would like to determine the challenges that they

encounter during their response to fire emergencies.

Significance of the Study

Local Government Unit of Tangub City. This study will provide them with the

pieces of information about the actual happenings during the response of

Bureau of Fire Protection personnel. It will help them to formulate

solutions on certain matters and address the concerns and problems

encountered on such situation to be avoided.

Bureau of Fire Protection Personnel. This study will help the Bureau of Fire

Protection personnels in determining the factors that affect their services

during a fire incident. This study may conclude with recommendations to

Bureau of Fire Protection personnels on the areas they should concentrate

on to prevent the occurrence of all these factors in the future.

 Community. This study will help the people to be informed and understand the

existing problems of the Bureau of Fire Protection Tangub City as to why

they take so long to respond to an emergency or fire.

Future Researchers. Future Researchers. The findings of this study could be

used as a source of data for potential researchers, with additional

variables, a different location, and different respondents. The data and

implications that will be gathered and presented in this study could be

used as part of their research literature.

Research Methodology

This section discusses the research design, research setting, research participants,

research instrument, validation of instruments, data gathering procedure, and data

analysis.

Research Design. The researcher used a case study design. A case study research

design usually involves qualitative methods, but quantitative methods are

sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing, comparing,

evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem

McCombes, (2019).

Research Settings. This study was conducted at Bureau of Fire Protection,

Tangub City, Misamis Occidental. Bureau of Fire Protection plays a

crucial role in safeguarding lives and properties from the threat of fire,

promoting public safety, and fostering a culture of fire prevention and

preparedness.
 Informants. The informant of this study were (5) Bureau of Fire Protection

(BFP) Personnel at Bureau of Fire Protection Tangub City

Research Instrument. The researcher used a researcher-created questionnaire to

collect all of the essential data from the respondents.

Validation of Instrument. The validity and reliability of the instruments were

evaluated by the panelist, Dean of the Institute of Criminal Justice

Education research adviser. Suggestions and criticism were then taken into

account before conducting an interview with the respondents.

Data Gathering Procedure. The researcher secured a letter of permission to

conduct the study that was noted by the research adviser and the Dean of

Institute of Criminal justice Education for the Bureau of Fire Protection

Tangub City. After the permission was granted, the researcher

immediately proceeds to data gathering. The interview was conducted

through face to face by the researcher.

Data analysis. Researcher study and reread the data, take notes, search for

significance, and assess which pieces are valuable. Researcher defined

major issues they sought to address through the analysis in these steps.

The researcher began by finding themes or patterns, which include ideas,

concepts, behaviors, relationships, and words, among other things. The

researcher looked for themes, ranked the importance of the responses,

found connections between topics or data sets, and attempted to deduce

meaning from the data. The researcher assigned meaning and relevance to

the data after identifying themes, patterns, links, and correlations.

Ethical Considerations

The researcher used pseudonyms to conceal the identity of the informants. Before

the start of the interview, written informed consent was presented to the respondents. It

was pointed out that the gathered data will be used for academic purposes only. The

researcher ensured the respondents that the information would be severely confidential

and privacy of their identities would be endlessly protected.

The Truthfulness of the Study

This study was conducted with utmost dependability and rigor. To ensure the

reliability of the interpretation, the researcher engaged in consultations with experts and

professionals in the field. This deliberate effort aimed to validate and corroborate the data

collected from the participants, thereby fortifying the trustworthiness and credibility of

the study’s interpretations.

Case Study

Analysis of the Study

This study entitled “Optimizing Emergency Response Resources: A Case Study

on Implementing Alternative Water Refilling Solution for BFP Tankers” was conducted

to determine what other water refilling solutions can be used by the Bureau of fire

protection Tangub City for their tankers during fire emergency aside from fire hydrants.

And also, this study would like to determine the challenges that they encounter during

their response to fire emergencies.

1. Alternative Water Refilling Solutions

 1.1. Suction Pump

The suction pump allows the Bureau of Fire Protection to draw water from natural

sources such as rivers, lakes, or ponds, and even from large containers or reservoirs. Its ability to

rapidly and effectively transport water significantly boosts their operational flexibility and

responsiveness. By ensuring a reliable water supply, the suction pump helps them combat fires

more effectively, mitigate damage, and protect our communities.

According to informant 1, the most common option in BFP when they get water is that,

first the suction. Fire trucks are designed to suck water from the river, or it can be from the sea,

but the only disadvantage of the sea is that the fire truck has parts that will rust in a period of

time. But his pump will not rust because it is made of steel, it is a different kind of metal. The

only disadvantage is that if there is even a small amount of vacuum, your suction will be

ineffective for a long time, so it will take a long time to refill the tank. That's why from time to

time we check our suction pump to see if there is any vacuum because in case there is a defect

we can immediately give a remedy since we can't immediately buy a new one.

1.2.