Opinions and Responses

Benefits of Inagi Fire Station's Independence

When I searched online for related articles about the independence of the Inagi Fire Station, I read an article where the Mayor of Inagi City mentioned that a benefit of the station being independent is that "since the firefighters live nearby, they can quickly respond when something happens."
If a major earthquake like the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred last New Year's happened, it would not be a scale that the entire Inagi Fire Station staff could handle alone. On the contrary, we would likely request support from fire departments in other prefectures and the Self-Defense Forces through the Tokyo Fire Department. I became concerned about whether Inagi City could operate independently and maintain smooth coordination in such a situation.
Please share your thoughts once again on the advantages and disadvantages of Inagi Fire Station being independent.

Response

Since the establishment of the Inagi Town Fire Department in 1967 based on Article 9 of the Fire Organization Act, the city has been strengthening its firefighting capabilities as an independent municipal fire department, including organizational structure and facility development. The city formulated the "Inagi City Fire Basic Plan" in 1996, the "Second Inagi City Fire Basic Plan" in 2006, and the "Third Inagi City Fire Basic Plan" in 2016, and has been working systematically to enhance and strengthen the firefighting system.
From 2024 to 2025, based on the Inagi City Firefighting Committee Ordinance, the Mayor of Inagi City consulted the Inagi City Firefighting Committee (composed of the fire brigade chief, disaster prevention-related organizations, Neighborhood Association chairpersons, etc.) for the formulation of the "Fourth Inagi City Firefighting Basic Plan." The committee has been deliberating on the progress of the Third Firefighting Basic Plan, the regionalization of firefighting, and the outsourcing of administrative tasks.
In the event of a large-scale earthquake such as the feared major earthquake directly beneath the metropolitan area, not only Inagi City but also the neighboring Inagi City Fire Department (Tokyo Fire Department) will face an overwhelming shortage of firefighting resources, making a wide-area support system absolutely essential.
Based on this, we have formulated the Inagi City Disaster Assistance Support Plan and are working on training to smoothly accept units such as the Emergency Firefighting Assistance Team, the Self-Defense Forces, and the police.
In addition, as part of wide-area support efforts, during large-scale disasters such as the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the forest fire in Ofunato City that occurred this February, the Tokyo Metropolitan Unit, together with the Tokyo Fire Department, dispatches the Emergency Firefighting Assistance Team to engage in rescue and firefighting activities, providing mutual support among fire departments nationwide.
Regarding the benefits of Inagi City having the Inagi City Fire Department and maintaining regular fire service operations,
The first point is that decision-making regarding fire and disaster prevention measures is quick, and emergency response operations can be carried out promptly.
The second point is that fire and disaster prevention administration can be promoted through close cooperation with local disaster prevention organizations, including the fire brigade.
The third point is that the Disaster Prevention Division is placed within the Inagi City Fire Department as a part of the city's bureau, and fire station personnel who are city employees maintain 24-hour shifts in a three-shift system, 365 days a year. Therefore, the emergency contact system can be secured quickly and reliably.
The fourth point is that since firefighters who are city employees do not transfer outside the city, staff members who are familiar with the local situation can always be assigned.
The fifth point is that by having the Disaster Prevention Division placed within the Inagi City Fire Department, the integration of fire service and disaster prevention operations is promoted, establishing a system for information gathering and communication during emergencies.
In addition, our city has concluded mutual support agreements with the Tokyo Fire Department and the Kawasaki City Fire Department, and when fires or other incidents occur within each other's jurisdictions, fire units are dispatched to provide operational support.
From this, at present, rather than there being no advantage to outsourcing, the benefits of an independent fire department stand out, so we prioritize maintaining the above five advantages and continue with the current system.

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