Be alert in case of fire

It is important to take the necessary fire safety precautions in public buildings this festive season.

IT was the first day of a weeklong school holiday – a perfect day for a family outing at the shopping mall. And with a cinema, petting zoo and play centre, this particular mall is popular with families. Parents would leave their children at the play area on the top floor while they relax nearby at the bar, play pool, work out or go bowling on the floor below.

But one fateful afternoon, their fun was cut short when a fire broke out in the children’s trampoline room. Within a few minutes, the fire had spread throughout the mall. At least 64 people were killed, mostly children.

This tragedy happened last March in Kemerovo, Russia, yet it could very well happen in Malaysia.

And while local government negligence and fire safety infringements by the mall management have been blamed for it, the Kemerovo catastrophe underscores the importance of fire safety education, says Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department director Khirudin Drahman.

A CCTV video retrieved by the Russian investigative committee showed panicked shoppers running for their lives as a thick cloud of grey smoke rapidly engulfed the building.

“It’s easy to panic and get disoriented in an emergency. When you panic, you can’t think and are prone to make poor decisions.

“In any emergency, especially a fire, the first five minutes are crucial. If you are aware of the safety steps, you will know what to do,” says Khirudin.

He says the situation can get more chaotic if the power gets cut off, so you are left in the dark or the smoke becomes so thick that it hampers your view – which are likely to happen in the event of a fire.

That is why we stress on training and practice, Khirudin says, because if the fire safety steps are embedded in you, it will become automatic.

“You’ll just know what to do in an emergency, and when you know what to do, you will not panic. One of the mottos we teach in our community outreach programmes is ‘Plan your drill, drill your plan.’”

Shopping malls, along with hotels and factories, are considered high-risk buildings, Khirudin tells Sunday Star, and owners of the premises are required to apply for a fire certificate (FC) under the Fire Services Act.

Issued by the Fire and Rescue Department, the FC will be given only if they have complied with the fire safety guidelines, including installing fire-fighting equipment that is in working order, he explains.

“We make sure the building’s fire safety equipment is well maintained, and follows the fire safety guidelines.”

Over 700 high-risk buildings in Kuala Lumpur, including most of the city’s shopping malls, have their FC in order, says Khirudin.

The safety guidelines include having in place an emergency response plan (ERP) and forming an emergency response team (ERT) with fire marshals who will be responsible in leading the people out to safety, he adds.

“The ERTs are the first line of defence when a fire breaks out, so they must be equipped with basic fire-fighting skills to take action before the fire and rescue team arrives. We are responsible for their training, and we have trained over 500 teams (in KL).

“When the fire alarm is triggered, the ERTs have to go to their designated zones and carry out the ERP. So we advise the public to look out for the fire marshals and follow their implemented evacuation plan.”

According to Khirudin, during festive seasons, the KL Fire and Rescue Department will go over the safety measures at the malls in the capital with their management teams.

“We also request them to inform us when they are having a sale and special events, so that we can go through their fire safety measures together and be on alert. We also do the rounds to monitor them during these peak periods to ensure the crowds’ safety.”

During this festive period – one week before Hari Raya and one week after – the Fire and Rescue Departments are on standby at the “hotspots” around the country. In Kuala Lumpur, these hotspots are Masjid India, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, KL Sentral and Sungei Besi.

Still, the best ERP, Khirudin stresses, is the individual’s own fire safety awareness.

“People need to practise the necessary fire safety precautions when they are in public buildings like malls and not become complacent. Most people don’t consider fire a significant risk, and complacency is one of the greatest dangers when it comes to fire safety.

“No one ever thinks it will happen to them – but fires can and do happen and they need to be prepared in the event of one.”

It begins even before you enter the mall, he says.

“If your family is planning to break up at the mall – do different things or visit different shops – set up a communication plan with them and plan a meeting point outside the mall in case of an emergency.”

As soon as you enter, identify the fire exits and check out the paths to the exit.

The main drill, he reiterates, is to remind your family that in the event of a fire, to “react immediately and to get out, stay out!” Khirudin stresses. “Once you have escaped, it is important to stay out. Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building.”

And as in Kemorovo, many malls have play areas where parents will leave their children with the staff minders, an older relative or nanny to watch over while they do their own thing or run errands.

Naturally, parents will panic and try to get or look for their children in emergencies, but the best thing to do is to get out first rather than scrambling around trying to find your family members, says Khirudin.

“If you train your children well in fire safety measures, then you can be confident that they will also escape first and you can reunite at your family’s meeting point.”

This is particularly important during the holiday and festive season, when malls, as well as entertainment centres and restaurants are often very crowded, Khirudin cautions, urging everyone to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves when they’re in these public spaces.

Fire safety engineering consultant Tay Hao Giang feels that too often, the public has a tidak apa attitude when the fire alarm rings.

“I’ve been in many places where the people just ignored the alarm and carried on doing whatever they were doing. Many times I’m the only one who runs out when the alarm sounds.”

He also reminds people not to stay around to take photos in the event of a fire.

“Even if you are not killed, the smoke you inhale can be toxic and cause severe heath problems later,” he warns.

They will not only block the firemen from effectively putting out the fire but also endanger those trying to escape too, adds Tay, noting that a stampede is another major cause of death in a fire.

Malls in the country generally comply with the safety regulations in their design, he says. “Our building laws and regulations are one of the most stringent in the world.”

The biggest design issue, Tay says, is the mega size of the malls, which increases the distance and time for customers to escape, especially for the aged and disabled.

“It’s also easy to get lost in a mega sized shopping complex, especially now that most have a complex layout for commercial reasons – many make people go round and round so that they will visit more shops. Before, when the malls were smaller, we could easily see all the doors and exit signs.”

The risks also increase after the building is occupied, he notes.

“More things are put in the building and many are combustible.

“Within the mall you assemble different kinds of risks – from a supermarket to clothing shops, which are highly flammable, and electronic stores, restaurants, cinema and food court.”

Another risky thing about a shopping mall is that you cannot partition it, says Tay.

“When you have an open concept, it is difficult to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading so that everyone can escape in time.”

Tay strongly believes fire safety regulations need to be reviewed.

“They are only the minimum requirement and a bit outdated.

“For example, our exit signs are on the top of the door. Now that we are using more synthetic materials, the smoke is thicker, so it will be difficult to see the exit signs. In many parts of the world now like China and Europe, they have the directional signs (arrows) and exit signs on the floor or at the wall curtain level.

“After all, the advice is for us to crawl on the floor when there is thick smoke so that we can breathe better.”

Then there is attitude of the mall management towards fire safety, he concedes.

“Proper fire safety training and frequent drills for all staff are critical.

“But most malls are reluctant to activate their ERT teams until they are very sure that there is a fire because false alarms are bad for business.

“Some think it’s fine to leave the sprinkler system or fire alarm broken for a day or two, but that is not good.”

Then there are those who put financial considerations above safety, the tragic consequences of which was clear in the Kemerovo fire.

Reports suggest that the fire escapes at the Kemerovo cinema were often locked to prevent people from sneaking into the movies. In the tragic fire, they were apparently not opened until too late.

“We should never take any chances with fire safety. It must always take precedence over financial considerations.

“All it takes is one bad case and that will be the end for you and your business,” warns Tay.

Get out, stay out! Once you have escaped, it is important to stay out. Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. City Fire and Rescue Department director Khirudin Drahman