A Case study on the state of volunteerism in the Binondo Paco volunteer fire search and rescue brigade

Abstract

Thanks to the lack of proper equipment on part of the Bureau of Fire Protection, volunteer firefighters have become more of a norm than government firefighters. Yet very little is studied about them in the Philippine setting. The voluntary sector is one that is commonly taken for granted, with people believing that they have the right to order around volunteers. Despite the dangers the volunteers face, they continue doing it, with volunteer groups going strong. But what keeps them so? The objective of this research to find the reasons behind the actions of volunteers who joined the Binondo Paco Volunteer Fire Search and Rescue Brigade: why they join, why they stay, and why they leave. It also aims to see the current situation of these firefighters in terms of equipment, training, benefits, and the hazards they face, as these are factors that affect their stay in the brigade.