Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Existing Preventive Fire-Fighting Measures in the City of Douala, Cameroon, to Improve Decision-Making and Public Safety

The storage of hydrocarbons in urban areas poses significant risks to local populations, including the potential for fire, explosion, groundwater contamination, and air pollution. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of current fire prevention and suppression strategies in the city of Douala. The study will be approached by first identifying, geolocating, and characterizing urban firefighting equipment. Subsequently, a proposal will be put forth for a response system to safeguard the city in the event of a catastrophic fire at a service station. In order to achieve this objective, the current regulatory framework governing the location of FH facilities was subjected to a thorough examination. Subsequently, pivotal compliance factors were identified, operationalized, and an audit checklist was formulated. A safety questionnaire was utilized to assess the equipment within service stations. GPS technology was employed to record the GPS coordinates of the FHs. GIS10.3.1 software was utilized to evaluate the BI distribution model. The data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS20.0 software, which revealed that the 142 BIs studied were essentially randomly distributed across the following neighborhoods. The results of the election yielded the following results: Bonamoussadi 27 (19%), Bonandjo 19 (13%), Bali 02 (1%), Deido 09 (6%), Akwa Nord 03 (2%), Bonamoussadi 18 (12%), Makepe 18 (12%), and B. The remaining 5% is distributed among the following: Assa, Bepanda, Cité-Sic, Ndogbong, Cité des Palmiers, Bonaberi, and New-Bell. Of the 142 FH identified, 30 (21.12%) lack water, and 4 (2.81%) have a flow rate of less than 30 m³/h with a dynamic pressure of less than 1 bar. Seventeen (11.97%) are inaccessible; 79 (55.63%) are operational; five (3.52%) are challenging to operate; and seven (4.92%) are situated within a private enclosure. The response time of the fire department is inadequate for all stations situated more than 3 km from their base in Ngondi-Douala. Only 17 (11.52%) of the stations are situated at distances of less than 5.83 km, which is conducive to efficient intervention. In contrast, 134 (88.74%) of the stations are located at distances of 5.83 km or more from the fire department base, which is not conducive to efficient intervention. The results indicate that the BIs are situated at considerable distances from the stations. Notably, the Total Laquitinie station is the sole city station with a FH located at its entrance. The database developed in this study could serve as a valuable resource for policymakers to inform appropriate action.