Mock fire-drills and the need to be fully prepared

Ten years ago, the Carlton Towers fire accident claimed nine lives and left over 70 people scarred for life. Many victims and their relatives are traumatised till today. Were hard lessons learnt from that deadly blaze? Here is a cross-section of Bengalureans voicing their views.

A witness to the decade-old accident, Sudharshan Jagannathan recalls, “I clearly remember the day when this incident happened. There was so much chaos and smoke was billowing out. We rushed to the site to help. The memory still haunts me when I think of that day. I earnestly hope such a tragic accident doesn’t occur again.”

One big lesson he learnt that day was the criticality of remaining calm. “That day, I realised the importance of educating people on how to deal with such situations, not to panic and stay calm. The builders need to incorporate all the safety measures during construction of buildings.”

The National Crimes Record Bureau report of 2017 has shown an alarming statistic: The cause-wise analysis of fire accidents revealed that 57.9% of total deaths (7,614 out of 13,159) were reported in residential/dwelling buildings. This clearly highlights the safety concerns in residential living spaces.

On building safety measures, Saleem Rahim, builder and developer at AT Royale Builders has this to say: “Two exits are built after two flights of staircases, and fire extinguishers kept at every floor, especially in the lobby areas, for easy and quick access.”

Highrises are required to have a wide road in front. “Such buildings should also have wide entrance points along with proper setbacks.”

Fire accidents and tragedies are on the rise in the city due to electric short circuits, electrical appliance switches not being turned off and discarded cigarettes. It has become a necessity to be well informed on the fire regulations and safety measures, especially for high rise buildings.

Cynthia Srinivas, President of Harmony Homes Apartment, Hennur had this to say when asked if there is enough space for a fire truck to enter the building: “Yes, we have left adequate space for fire tenders to go around the building. This is part of the fire safety requirements for highrises. Without that, we would not have gotten an NOC from the fire department.”

Are mock drills conducted in highrises across the city to prepare residents in case of a fire? “Yes, we do hold mock drills encourage residents to participate. A red board displayed opposite the lift on the ground floor has a list of do’s and don’ts in case of a fire,” she says.

As a preventive mechanise, fire fighting equipment and fire extinguishers are kept on every floor and regulary inspected. Pooja Parthiban, an employee of Ernst & Young notes that fire alarms, provision of fire exits, and mock drills are coordinated regularly.

However, compliance is hardly a city-wide record. Kashish Malani, a resident of a prominent apartment complex in Nayandahalli informs: “There has been no exercise or drill to be prepared for any sort of fire break in our building.”

The residents are never trained. “However, instructions are always given if any situation like this occurs. Every flat in our building has a separate fire extinguisher.”

For Sneha Salel, a resident of Embassy Apartments in Vasanthnagar, the presence of fire-fighting equipment is reassuring, but nothing more. “We have fire extinguishers in every block, smoke detectors in all apartments. Since I moved in last March, we have not had any training or mock exercises but fortunately, there have not been any fire.”

Esther Ellis, a teacher at Clarence High School notes that the fire safety drills are critical for students. “We conduct such mock drills regularly. We want to ensure the safety of the kids and they are taught how to act responsibly.”