| dc.description.abstract | Background: Fire outbreaks in schools are a major public health concern because they threaten the safety and well being of students. These outbreaks lead to disastrous effects like death, injuries, damage of millions worth of property and infrastructure as well as well as effects on mental health for the students. In order to prevent these disastrous effects, it is essential that schools set up fire safety preparedness measures to ensure effective fire detection, prevention and control.
Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the level of fire safety preparedness among primary day schools in Old Kampala Parish of Central Division, Kampala City.
Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study design that involved quantitative methods of data collection. Quantitative data was collected using an observational checklist and a structured questionnaire with both closed and open ended questions was subjected to the students to obtain information about the study objectives. Of the 12 schools in Old Kampala Parish, four are primary day schools. Data entry and documentation was done in EpiData software and analyzed using Stata software and Microsoft Excel.
Results: In this study, 85.90% of the students had no knowledge on the usage of fire extinguishers and 77.24% had knowledge on the causes of fire outbreaks. Of all the three schools, only one (33.3%) had adequate provision of fire extinguishers. Additionally, all the schools (100%) had no fire safety plans and did not conduct training on fire safety and regular fire drills.
Conclusion: Fire outbreaks are at a risk of increasing in many primary day schools due to the absence of fire safety preparedness measures to effectively respond to fires. This situation calls for urgent multi-sectoral action by responsible stakeholders to ensure implementation of existing fire safety measures as well as drafting of new legislations and regulations to ensure safety and well being of students in schools. | en_US |
