One giant leap for fire safety
There might be new hope for those who live and work in high-rise buildings, writes Supoj Wancharoen
Ever wonder what you would actually decide to do if stuck in a high-rise during a fire? And while neither a rescuer nor a firefighter has arrived just yet, the flames are spreading rapidly towards you. Would you jump off the building if the chance of survival appears to be more or less zero? Or would you stay and brace for the flames, smoke and heat?
Kongsak Sakulthong is managing director of Oriental Professional Engineering Consultants, a firm specialising in construction and architecture. For three decades the firm has provided consultants for high-rise designs. City Talk this week will bring you an expert’s idea on how to prepare a possible escape from a building in case of a fire. Amid the proliferation of high-rise buildings in the city, Mr Kongsak believes it is about time the city administration introduces the use of descent-control devices, such as mountain-climbinglike gear, for the self-rescue of those living or working in tall buildings.
What is your view on the problem of fires in buildings in Bangkok?
Well, that is a very important matter as it concerns the lives of the people and their assets, especially when buildings, both residential and office ones, become taller and taller. It’s the skyrocketing prices of land that force developers to make best use of every inch of space. And since horizontal expansion is limited, vertical expansion of space is the only option left.
But the problem is how efficient we are in dealing with a fire in a high-rise now. What is the maximum height a fire-fighting crane can be used to put out flames in case of a fire? The maximum capacity of a fire truck crane is up to 30 floors. So what would happen if a building where a fire breaks out is taller than that? Do we have helicopters in place ready for immediate use to deal with such a fire?
More questions to think about are: How long would it take firefighters from the nearest station to arrive at your building? What would happen if the alley leading to your building is too narrow for a large fire engine to get through? What would you do in the event of a blazing inferno, since fire sprinkler systems in most buildings are only capable of stopping a minor fire? And how would you manage to survive if you cannot make it to a fire exit because the flames already are raging between you and safety?
I asked myself these questions many years ago and thought Thailand should have its building control law amended to require all highrises, residential and office buildings alike, to i nstall descent-control devices for self-rescue for everyone living or working in them. This idea should be an ideal solution to all the limitations in firefighting in a city area.
Does any other country have these type of laws in place?
I’m not sure if any country has already been implementing this legal requirement. But I’ve seen such a self-rescue descent system installed at several highrises in Spain.
One reason could possibly be that many Spanish people are keen on rock climbing, as far as I know. So, they like to have a descent control system installed at home as well. Personally, I think this device could be a good solution to the fire problem in Thailand. It may not need to be enforced as a law if an effective public campaign to
raise awareness over fire safety measures is conducted and pays off.
What does a good descent-control device look like and where in the building should it be installed?
Well, I’ve thought of working with my team to design a new one called “Life Line”. As its name indicates, it’s a line that saves lives.
The device will consist of a safety vest that is securely locked to the descent control unit installed on a balcony. A balcony is the best position to install a descent control unit, given the greatest convenience it has to offer when it comes to descending from a room to the ground during a fire.
More importantly, it is crucial to design the unit to be user-friendly enough for everyone, even those without out any rockclimbing skills, to use it with ease.
The reason is, in reality, there are young children and old people, for instance, who will have to use it, too. And I believe most of these people don’t have rock climbing experience.
With new materials, most, if not all, types of descent control units are fireproof. And given the average body weight of people these days, a descent control unit should be able to withstand more than 100 kilogrammes in weight.
Descent speeds are also important and should not be too fast because some who use the device may have a fear of heights.
Most importantly, the descent-control device should have a valid warranty to ensure that it receives maintenance on a regular basis.
A safety helmet with a flashing light and global positioning system (GPS) should be added to the descent-control unit, depending on the budget each building may have.
To invest extra tens of thousands of baht on this safety device is almost nothing when compared with the price of highrises nowadays.
This is not something that’s impossible and I’d like to encourage the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and other relevant agencies to really think about adopting it.