Abstract:
Recently, Kenyans have witnessed an increase in incidents of fire where fire has
gutting down homes, buildings and factories, with loss of lives and property. Lack of
disaster preparedness has remained one of Kenya’s enduring development
challenges for decades. There is lack of recognition of the interrelationship between
disaster preparedness, unsustainable production and consumption patterns. Most
of the fire disaster response initiatives in Kenya tend to be ad hoc, uncoordinated
and short-term measures, mainly in the form of emergency relief services to the
worst affected areas. Fire outbreaks are not only a health risk, but they also
adversely affect the social, economic and environmental conditions of an
organization. The purpose of this study was to assess fire safety preparedness
measures in place at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport based on International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. The study employed descriptive
research design targeting 340 respondents using proportional random sampling
technique. A questionnaire was used in collecting data. Based on the results of the
study, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has inadequate preventive and
preparedness measures in place to minimize the potential effects of any fire disaster
occurrence. It lacks mechanism to integrate the safety standards and practices of
the different stakeholders in and around the airport. The study recommends an
integrated fire disaster management system involving all organizations operating at
the airport and a provision for more and bigger emergency exits and a public address
system that can be relied upon in case of a fire disaster.
