Are We Prepared to Handle Fire in Ours?
A resident of Prateek Wisteria left home for preparing for the marriage of her daughter without realizing that she has left the iron used for ironing clothes on. For more than 8 hours the flat was locked and smoke had spread all over the three bedroom apartment. Fortunately, the fire didn’t spread to other apartments, else God only knows what would have happened!!
The Maintenance people of Wisteria were able to handle the situation quickly as they had recently been trained and helped in stopping a major disaster.
The situation was very efficiently handled by the maintenance department and a major calamity was averted in the colony. But the question to ponder over is – are we prepared to handle such a situation if it arises in our Society? Unpalatable as it may sound, but most of the housing complexes are not prepared. Some of them are not even thinking in that direction. It is always better to face the situation rather than burying the head in the sand and pretending all is well.
It is appreciable that the management team of Aditya Birla Celebrity Homes has not only been thinking but has also been trying to find workable situation since standard fire safety precautions had been overlooked by the builder. The colony lacks a space for the parking of heavy fire brigade vehicles. The management will try to create one by sacrificing some green area or undergoing constructional changes.
But mere infrastructure does not prepare us for the situation. There should be regular workshops or drills so that residents are aware of the steps needed to be taken. This is relevant keeping in view the fact that there have many numerous cases of fire breakouts in Noida, especially in multi-story buildings.
The essential measures do not end at the installation of fire equipment. A regular maintenance is of utmost importance. There have been instances when the system was complete with no use in case of fire. At the time of construction of flats in societies, builders charge a heavy amount on account of fire safety which is included in total cost of flat. They install the fire system as it is mandatory to clear the building from the fire department. But as far as quality of the system is concerned, the department does not bother.
Up to this extent, things are tolerable, but next things become horrible because when people get started living, nobody knows how to operate the system in case of fire. As a result, the material like hose reel is used for gardening, space is used for keeping waste material, fire extinguishers are not refilled after first filling.
The aim of the article is to spread awareness as a precaution is always better than cure.
