Fire Preparedness

The scenes of fire accident from Surat in attached video from consumer standards circle is 😢 and 💔

Can we please draw some basic fire responsiveness and basic equipment standards that must apply if there is a fire station. Corrupt and inefficient governance is cause of public loss of life.

The Surat fire brigades came late and did not have safety net. Those lives could have been saved.

Also mandatorily fire safety training must be part of school and college curriculum.

Sharing tips from Vijaya Nair again

If a fire breaks out in your home or if you hear a fire alarm, the first and foremost thing to do is do not fear but stay calm. If you know the exit, proceed to fire exit than waiting for the fire to subside.

Always crawl as the amount of smoke at the ground level is less than that at a higher level. Hence, restrict to ground level as it lowers your inhalation of smoke. Moreover, it also helps you to escape from the site.

Do cover your mouth to prevent smoke from entering your mouth. It is wise to use a wet cloth when trapped by fire, especially when fighting heat because it transmits heat better and helps in mitigating the effect of smoke on the body.

Close the door if you exit the room. Also, if you planning to leave a room, do feel the closed doors. This is because, a hot door or doorknob means the room is on fire, so do not enter that room.

Do inform the fire service at the earliest as they can take things under control however minor that outbreak is. The all India emergency number for services like police, fire and ambulance in the country is 112.

If your clothes are on fire, stop and drop to the floor. Roll to smother and put out the flames. Do not panic but act wisely.

Never take an elevator or lift if you a stuck in case of a fire outbreak. Always take stairs and make sure you give way to people carrying our rescue operations.

If you are conscious, then do not jump but call for help. Instead, you can shout, raise an alarm or drop a piece of clothing from your window, to know others of your presence in a building.

Never stand up in a fire as it ups the risk of smoke inhalation, which makes things worse. If excess smoke is inhaled it can lead to respiratory complications and in severe cases, can lead to death.

Do not lock up yourselves in a bathroom or stay in closed rooms. This is because, there are chances that the smoke can enter the room and thus, further aggravate the situation more