The recent incidents in the Cochin city have been not that glad news as there was a range of fire breakthroughs all over the city. The city was submerged under the smoke for nearly two days. All the parts of the city were under the same situation and it caused havoc all around. The most affected where the flats in Cochin. The fire that broke out in the brahmapuram plant lasted for more than 24 hours. It was also difficult for the fire force to control it.
The most affected where the apartments and the other higher buildings due to the height and the other problems. People living in an apartment building need to think ahead and be prepared in the event of a fire. It is important to know the fire safety features in your building and work together with neighbors to help keep the building as fire-safe as possible.
The recent fire explosion at the brahmapuram plant at kakkanad caused high havoc for the inhabitants in the flats in tripunithura. The main cause for the fire was the mismanagement of the waste at the plant. Always make sure to be safe within your flat during and after a fire explosion.
As the height of the building increases due to the wind and the other problems the smoke gets scattered within the building and never gets out. Lets now discuss why the risks of fire perceived areas much higher in tall buildings. The main reasons for this are:
- Egress Systems
- Access to Floors
- Forces of Nature
- Crowded Place
- Less Vertical Utility
Egress Systems in Flats
The main problem lies in the exit stares as the number of storeys of the buildings is increasing the chances of crowding in the exit stares also increases. The overcrowding and the steepness of the exit stare causes in staking of the smoke.
Access to Floors
In case of high rise flats, the reach by the rescuers is also limited. Some of the intermediate flats will cause a problem for the rescue team. The upper levels will be facing the threat of the smoke.
Forces of Nature
Wind always has an impact on the movement of the smoke. This always adversely affects the high buildings. The smoke spreads much faster in case of higher buildings than compared to the smaller buildings
Crowded Place
It’s always difficult to control the spread of the smoke if the place is much crowded as there will free space for the movement, which again makes it difficult.
Less Vertical Utility
Because of the use of the pipes and other requirements vertically, the space available for the rescue team is much lesser.
These are the main hurdles that are to be kept in mind while trying out for a fire rescue within a high rise apartment. The main reason for the fire that caused in the parts of kochi were due to the less maintenance of the waste plant and the high rise in the summer heat.
There were many buildings in kochi from the various builders in kochi which suffered from the causes of the fire that broke out.
Here are some tips for the high rise apartments to safeguard during and after a fire accident:
Building Fire Safety
Make to take safety measures and be prepared every time. Talk to the apartment builder about the fire detection systems and other safety measures required.
Be Prepared
Learn about the evacuation plan of the building and have regular plans according to the requirements. Be sure to know about the stairs and the exit ways from the building.
Summer Emergency Kit
Maintain a summer emergency kit in your plan so that it can be much easy during an evacuation. The summer kit must include the charger and another day to day pieces of stuff required for you.
Have a Regular Watch
Make sure to regularly monitor the announcements from the authorities and follow them. Be prepared and have a thorough check with your apartment eventually.
Be aware of emergency contacts around your apartment complex
Have emergency contacts like the fire department, hospitals in hand. Save them in your mobile and tag them properly, so that you can easily find these numbers during an emergency.
Have regular Fire Safety Sessions and Fire Drills
Fire systems familiarisation sessions and fire drills should be held once every six months so that residents know how to use fire fighting devices.
The ongoing flats in tripunithura add up with the much-developed fire precaution systems and thus giving their investors a good living experience.
Some of the Do’s and Don’ts during a Fire Emergency:
- Urgently call the Fire Department and also an Ambulance.
- Alert everyone and quickly move them towards the fire exit
- Don’t use the lift and make use of the stairs instead.
- When evacuating the building, be sure to feel doors for heat before opening them to be sure there is no fire danger.
- If there is smoke in the air, stay low to the ground, especially your head, to reduce inhalation exposure.
- In case if you are trapped in your room or building during fire try to stop smoke and fire getting into your room by using towels, blankets or spare clothes to block the gaps in the door.
- If you catch fire on your clothes then stop, do panic or run. It will make the fire burn faster and lead to more injuries or burn. Dropping on the ground and rolling can help extinguish the fire.Make sure to follow these steps and never panic during a fire breakout. Keep up the lessons from your builder and be a good listener. Follow the instructions from the authorities also during the calamitic seasons. Make it a point to check with the builder for the updated safety measures that are carrying out every year. Happy Living at your Homes.