Emergency Fire Safety Measures

Apart from the steps taken in construction of buildings the following general measures of fire safety have to be adopted.

1. Alarm Systems

Alarm systems are installed with a view to give an alarm and to call for assistance from neighbours in case of fire. As per the saying ‘prevention is better than cure’, the first five minutes of fire should be stopped instead of fighting to extinguish the fire for five hours. Further, safety alarm also gives enough time and warning for the occupants to save important materials and to reach to a safe place.

The alarm system may be manual or automatic. The manual alarm system may consist of a horn bell or siren by which the occupants can be alerted. The automatic alarm system is usually installed in large industrial building which is unoccupied at night. The automatic fire alarm, apart from sending information to the nearest control point, also alerts the nearest fire brigade station.

2. Fire-extinguishing Arrangements

Various types of extinguishing arrangements are provided to extinguish the fire depending on the importance of the building.

(i) Portable Fire Extinguishers

The purpose of portable fire extinguishers is intended for immediate use in case of an outbreak of fire. The portable extinguishers in common use are carbon dioxide type, foam machines, large foam generators, etc. Carbon dioxide type extinguishers are the most common for small fires. Sometimes small fires can be extinguished by keeping buckets of water, sand and asbestos blankets.

(ii) Fire Hydrants

Fire hydrants may be installed inside or outside the building. But they should be located in a suitable position such that water is made available easily. For large and close buildings the fire hydrants should be located 90–120 m apart. For open areas the distance may be 300 m or more. One hydrant for an area of 4000–10000 m² is provided depending on the population and importance of the region. Generally, hydrants are installed at all street corners.

(iii) Automatic Sprinkler System

This consists of pipes and sprinkles. They are installed in such a way as to operate automatically by the heat of fire and sprinkles water on the fire. This arrangement is suitable for the internal protection of premises. This arrangement is provided in industries which produce combustible materials like textile mills, paper mills, gas industries, etc.

(iv) Escape Routes

Adequate passages to escape in times of emergency have to be made in the building. This is more important in public buildings like theatres, town halls, schools, restaurants, etc. In case of buildings more than 25 m, it is recommended to provide at least one fire tower as the escape route. All escape routes over roofs and strairs should be protected with railings.