Fire brigades are highly essential in a community because of fire prevention,
fire suppression, emergency response, public safety, and protection of property.
Barangay fire brigades play a crucial role in promoting community-based fire
prevention in the Philippines. These brigades are composed of volunteers who are
trained to respond to fires and other emergencies in their respective barangays or
villages. However, their importance in preventing fires is often overlooked, and there
is a need to promote their role in the community. Additionally, barangay fire brigade
members in the community are very limited. Thus, there is a need to promote this
organization to increase the level of awareness of the community and increase the
information dissemination towards safety and fire emergencies. Given the ground, this
study is conducted to identify the contribution of Barangay Fire Brigades to
community fire prevention, determine how the fire brigades prevents the causes of
fire, and promote a system in order to increase the number of fire brigades in the
community.
This study used a qualitative research design to ensure that the data are
directed from the experiences of the participants. A phenomenological approach was
used using a semi-structured guide question. The total number of participants who
provided the necessary data in the study were 10. Based on the responses of the
participants, it was found out that the strength of barangay fire brigades members
participant are the skills in firefighting and knowledge in responding to accidents.
However, it was noted that the fire brigades are lack of facilities and equipment that
could be used in their operations. As the participants found out that the cause of fire
incidents in the community are children through their unconscious use of fire, the
activities they have done to address such issue are information campaign, fire drill,
and ronda in the barangay. Hence, it is evident in the result of the study that there is a
need to strengthen the information dissemination on the contributions of the barangay
fire brigades to increase the number of its members. Also, to get support from
linkages and partners, the barangay fire brigades should establish public relation to
the BFP and NDRRMC as support system in the promotion of the organization and
different activities in emergency operations.