‘It’s important to teach children about fire safety and prevention in a way that is appropriate to their age.’
– Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, Women, Childhood and Community Well-being Development Minister.
MANY people believe that fire safety is the sole responsibility of the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) and government agencies.
However, if we were to analyse the statistics as well as the forensic fire post-mortem reports, it is the community who is responsible.
So to change this misperception, there is an urgent need to change the way the community thinks.
While it is never a walk in the park to change people’s way of thinking, I personally believe that it is important to realise and understand that fire safety is a shared responsibility.
The community must realise and be aware that it is responsible for unsafe ABC — unsafe attitude, unsafe behaviour and unsafe condition.
This is why Bomba Sarawak in particular has been actively raising awareness and providing education to the local community to ensure that it has the right knowledge.
Knowledge will allow the local community to identify whether its neighbourhood is high-risk, determine hazard factors, build partnerships, improve safety measures and form effective strategies.
Through this, the local community can be prepared to handle any form of incident or disaster within the community itself despite limited resources.
On our part, the department conducts community analysis, develops partnerships in the community, creates and implements strategies which will allow us to evaluate the impact or result.
To create a safer community, the department has introduced the 3E, namely, education, enforcement, and engineering of community risk reduction. We ensure that a community risk reduction plan is deliberate, cost effective and sustainable.
The department is eager to create a community of citizen life savers and risk assessors in Sarawak. We want the people to be champions in the event of emergencies including fires or other forms of disasters and incidents.
On top of the 3E, there are two more elements, namely, emergency management and economic initiative, thus making it the 5E approach.
These five important elements need to be materialised in a total fire safety approach which is deliverable and requires the construction industry and system to follow.
The engineering approach consists of passive and active fire requirements, applying standards and codes, performance based approach, computer fluids dynamic simulation in designing stage to make sure the new building is built according to standards that ensure life safety, property protection and environment construction compliance.
The introduction of G.B.I (Green Building Index), E.L.C (Eco Landscape Concept), E.A.L (Eco Aquatic Landscape, T.O.D (Transit orientation Development, E.C (Ecological Corridor), L.E.E.D (Leadership in Energy and Environment Development Design) through engineering consideration will ensure better building safety for its inhabitants.
Complying with the fire protection guide in Malaysia and the Sarawak Building Ordinance (SBO) 1994 is a guarantee that the building is built for its best usage. Part 1 to Part 6 SBO are testimonies of the good engineering approach in building construction requirements.
Bomba Sarawak through its Fire Safety Division is undertaking the responsibility in making sure the construction industry, designers and owners comply with these requirements before they are given supporting letters and approvals.
Education is the best way forward in the effort to change the mindset of the community in looking at how they determine the risks around them, especially fires.
Understanding unsafe ABC will reduce the probabilities of fire incidents and eventually, reduce unnecessary losses. Precaution, prevention and protection knowledge will keep them alert at all times.
Enforcement is a vital part in ensuring the people comply with fire safety requirements. Presently, the Fire Service Act 1988 (Act 341) gives the department power to enforce the law.
The Act makes necessary provision for the effective and efficient functioning of Bomba, for the protection of persons and properties from fire risks and purposes connected therewith such as fire hazard abatement notices, closing orders and issuance of Fire Certificates for designated buildings.
The provision in Act 341 gives us the power but it is the people who have the power to determine their own safety. Their understanding of it will enforce itself for their own benefit.
Safe practices and complying with regulations will ensure their own safety and the safety of their neighbourhoods and environments.
At the same time, emergency management will complement all approaches in tackling any incident. Understanding the systematic approach in tackling an incident before it becomes worse is crucial.
The first five minute response either by people on the ground or the industry will determine the severity of magnitude of an incident.
This can be done through applying the art of emergency management such IAP (Incident Act Plan Process), Emergency Response Plan, Emergency Response Team, and Incident Command System. The systematic approach will reduce the impact while repetition drills will provide people the readiness and knowledge of what to do.
Lastly, economic initiatives suggest the authority gives recognition to the people and community’s effort in reducing fire occurrences and incident risks.
Recognising them through initiatives such as reduced fire insurance premiums for keeping their buildings safe and creating ownership in keeping the environment from unnecessary burning.
I believe that total fire safety with the 5E in place can help build better living environments and neighbourhoods. After all, it is to protect mother nature and the planet we are living on.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
