By Tony Sahni
According to our records at Securex, there has been an increase in the number of fire-related incidents across the country in the past three months. In fact, the figure this month is more than what we noted in December 2018 and January 2019 combined. This excludes cases of arson. Therefore, factors such as human error and electric fault can’t be ruled out. With the prevailing weather conditions being hot and dry in most areas, strong winds make it easier to start fires and harder to fight them.
Accommodation Facilities
We can draw several lessons from recent occurrences at accommodation facilities. When planning recreational activities, ensure you have the relevant emergency response teams standby. If it’s a fireworks display, a fire brigade and an ambulance should be standby.
For guestsm, while booking for your accommodation, ensure you locate the fire exit closest to your room and the dining area. Identify where the fire assembly point is as well. Most hotels have an information pack detailing all this in each room, so take the time to study the procedure when checking in.
Hotel management should take note of all foreign nationalities under their care and reach out to their embassies should a fire break out. Some guests might lose their personal documents, thus complicating their travel plans. Step in and help.
Informal Settlements
Fires in informal settlements spread l quickly because of congestion. This, in addition to the construction materials used often used on such buildings , means even a small fire spreads and burns everything.
In such cases, timely response and evacuation is critical. However, we have seen narrow roads in slums hampering rescue efforts. But a long lasting solution will be civic education on fire safety.
Given how fast fires in these environs spread, a community warning system would also help speed up the evacuation process. We can even take it a step further and establish fire assembly points and a headcount system, which would then help focus any rescue efforts and resources where they are needed most.
Residential Areas
More and more people are investing in security. However, the problem is that most people think of a perimeter wall around their houses and Intrusion alarms. The sad part is that they give little attention to fire detection and suppression equipment.
Gadgets like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are not necessarily meant for large office complexes but any building. One should always have a fire extinguisher in the house and fire blankets.
Additionally, identify a suitable fire escape and share that with your family. Have at least two ways to leave the house.
Always buy gas cylinders from authorized outlets because sub-standard cylinders have leaked and caused fires.
Do not lock kids in houses. Always allow options for escape in cases of fire.
Also know how to fight different types of fires. Do not put out oil-based fires using water.
An oil-based fire should only be put out using a foam or carbon dioxide extinguisher, while only dry powder or carbon dioxide extinguishers can be used for electrical fires. However, for smaller fires around the house, a fire blanket should be used.
Office Complexes
Have staffs who are also trained fire marshals and First Aiders. They will then have the knowledge to advice on any potential risks in the office. Some security service providers train their officers on fire fighting and First Aid. Check with your service provider and confirm whether this is the case.
Speaking from past experience, our officers have been involved in putting out a number of fires at key, multi-storey installations over the years, averting loses. Perhaps it would be best to bear this in mind as well when picking your security provider.
Another critical factor is early detection. Smoke detectors might not be efficient when it comes to highly sensitive sites; or they might not allow you enough time to assemble a response team. The next level of fire detection is through the use of aspiration technology. This type of system continually samples the air in its proximity; looking for any particles or elements which would indicate that combustion is imminent. It will then flag the fire long before it actually starts.
For larger buildings and highly sensitive sites, an integrated building management system that has fire as one of its integral elements would be preferred.