Managing emergency service quality and user satisfaction: A qualitative study of the Surabaya Fire and Rescue Department

Fitri Nur Rifani (Universitas Widya Kartika, Surabaya, Indonesia)

Novera: Journal of Economics and Business
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): Novera: Journal of Economics and Business

Fire and rescue services require responsive service quality to meet public needs in rapidly changing and uncertain emergency situations. This study aims to analyze service quality and user satisfaction at the Surabaya Fire and Rescue Department. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed using purposive sampling involving five informants with direct experience using the services. Data were collected through interviews, observation, and documentation and analyzed through data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that users perceived the services positively, particularly in terms of response speed, staff competence and composure, the variety of rescue services, and communication that provided a sense of safety. However, distance, traffic congestion, road conditions, limited fleet availability, and supporting facilities continued to affect service delivery. This study contributes by positioning service quality and user satisfaction as important foundations for more integrated and consistent emergency service management. Abstrak Pelayanan pemadam kebakaran sebagai layanan darurat membutuhkan kualitas respons yang mampu memenuhi kebutuhan masyarakat dalam situasi yang cepat dan tidak pasti. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis kualitas layanan dan kepuasan pengguna pada Dinas Pemadam Kebakaran dan Penyelamatan Kota Surabaya. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan purposive sampling terhadap lima informan yang memiliki pengalaman langsung menggunakan layanan. Data diperoleh melalui wawancara, observasi, dan dokumentasi, kemudian dianalisis melalui reduksi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa pengguna menilai pelayanan secara positif, terutama pada kecepatan respons, kompetensi dan ketenangan petugas, keragaman layanan penyelamatan, serta komunikasi yang memberikan rasa aman. Namun, jarak, kepadatan lalu lintas, kondisi jalan, keterbatasan armada, dan fasilitas masih memengaruhi proses pelayanan. Penelitian berkontribusi dengan menempatkan kualitas layanan dan kepuasan pengguna sebagai dasar pengelolaan layanan darurat yang lebih terpadu dan konsisten.