Operational Capabilities in Disaster Emergency Management of Bureau of Fire Protection Personnel in Camarines Norte, Philippines
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66050/s34qe772Keywords:
operational capabilities, disaster emergency management, resource planning, responsiveness, organizational management, information disseminationAbstract
This study assessed the operational capabilities of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel in disaster emergency management in the Province of Camarines Norte, Philippines. Preliminary observations and institutional reports indicated several operational constraints that potentially affect the effectiveness of disaster response in the province. Among the most pressing concerns are the limited number of personnel assigned to several municipal fire stations, uneven manpower distribution across municipalities, constraints in the availability and readiness of firefighting and rescue equipment, and the irregular conduct of specialized disaster response and Incident Command System (ICS) trainings. The study assessed the operational capabilities of the Bureau of Fire Protection personnel in Camarines Norte for Disaster Emergency Management from 2024 to 2025. The study determined the profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex, civil status, educational attainment, length of service, and relevant training attended. Also, in terms of operational capabilities in disaster emergency management, it focused only on resource planning, organizational management, responsiveness, and information dissemination, which was crucial to personnel in terms of their level of knowledge at every level, using the researcher’s structured research instrument. The method of data collection was an online survey to gather primary data from the selected respondents. The study was limited only to those personnel who had completed the different levels of the Incident Command System, wherein out of 207 personnel, only 82 had training on the different levels across the twelve municipalities of the province, to gather the needed information during the collection of the data in the form of a questionnaire. The study utilized a descriptive survey research design and employed a pre-tested questionnaire to collect primary data. A total of 82 BFP personnel participated in the study, drawn from 12 municipal fire stations and the BFP Provincial Office in Camarines Norte, including Basud, Daet, Mercedes, San Lorenzo, San Vicente, Talisay, Vinzons, Labo, Paracale, Jose Panganiban, Capalonga, and Sta. Elena Fire Stations, as well as the Office of the Provincial Fire Marshal. In terms of operational capabilities, BFP personnel were rated “very much capable” in organizational management (M = 4.31), information dissemination (M = 4.40), and responsiveness (M = 4.29). However, resource planning obtained a slightly lower rating of “capable” (M = 4.18), indicating room for improvement. Based on these results, an intervention plan was developed to address identified gaps, particularly in workforce and equipment allocation, equipment maintenance, training frequency, public awareness activities, and governance-related constraints. Across the four operational capability domains, the three lowest-rated indicators were related to: (1) the adequacy and readiness of firefighting and rescue equipment, (2) the frequency and accessibility of specialized disaster response and Incident Command System (ICS) trainings, and (3) the reach and effectiveness of disaster preparedness information dissemination to vulnerable communities. These priority gaps highlight the areas where improvement efforts should be directed most urgently.
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