Though everyone remained safe and it was quickly contained, the recent fire incident at a housing society in Noida serves as a reminder to audit our fire preparedness. Here are a few points, specific to multistoried residential societies, worth thinking about:
1. Fire equipment – All residential societies are equipped with fire safety measures like fire alarms, fire extinguishers, fire hoses, sprinklers and smoke detectors. But are these checked and tested regularly to ensure they are functioning to optimum capacity? The batteries in the alarms, the water pressure in fire hoses, wear and tear of fire extinguishers… all require regular monitoring so that they don’t malfunction when most needed!
2. Fire drills – In most office and residential buildings in India, either there are no fire drills to acquaint the occupiers what to do in the event of an emergency or, even if conducted, they are not taken seriously. For instance, often when a fire alarm goes off, how many of us actually scramble to our feet and head out of the door? Think it to be just a drill and go on with business as usual! There is a need to conduct regular fire drills and everyone to know what to do in the event of an emergency, the fire escapes/staircases to take while evacuating. Maintenance teams must know to always keep the fire doors functional, fire staircases clear of obstructions and, at the time of fire emergency, turn off the lifts, cut off power, and aid the residents.
3. Training – Are the first responders, usually the maintenance staff, adequately trained to handle such an emergency until such time that help like fire engines and fire fighters arrive? Also, is protective gear easily accessible to them that they can wear quickly to ensure their safety?
4. Unauthorized construction – We often tend to have a lackadaisical approach to safety and are not strict enough in enforcing restrictions and rules on building extensions, installing appliances, use of inflammable materials and similar liberties taken by residents. For instance, all apartments have a sanctioned load for power and exceeding this can lead to short circuits, which can quickly escalate into a major fire engulfing the whole building. Can we really afford to look away from such transgressions which may seem small? While the management of housing societies need to be more stringent about enforcing the rules, it is also incumbent upon the residents to be responsible and sensible and not try to ‘get away’ with flouting the restrictions, for their own good!
5. Emergency bag – Finally, while this depends on individual preferences, it may be wise to consider keeping a ‘get-away bag’ with copies of essential documents near the door that can be picked up while exiting in the event of an unforeseen emergency like a fire or an earthquake.
All these steps are easy and straightforward; they just need some discipline and common sense, both by the society management and residents themselves. After all, all it takes is a little spark…!
