High Rise Buildings on Fire | What are the challenges?

According to Uniform Building by Law(UBBL) a high-rise building is one with four floors or more, or 15 to 18 meters or more in height. Most building engineers, inspectors, architects and similar professionals define a high-rise as a building that is at least 75 feet (23 m) tall.

All buildings such as dormitories, libraries, shops, public halls, schools, nurseries and apartments as vulnerable to “potential disaster”. All of this category can only apply for and be issued with a Fire Certification (FC) once they are free from fire hazards and meet the requirements laid out by the Fire and Rescue Department.

When that happen, the most important is to make sure lay person to know how to manage and evacuate. For all information all organization should have their own Emergency Response Team (ERT) member to evacuate from the building.

The first person on-scene will typically serve as Emergency Manager (EM) until relieved by a more senior person. Responsibilities for the first person on-scene. The Second in-charge is Incident Controller (IC) serve as Leader at fire ground and do search & rescue. The third person in charge is Historian serve as data collector. The data collection should start from alarm triggered till end.

Leader to be present at assembly point is In-charge of evacuation. His task Co-ordinate with Security Controller (SC) to do head count & Verify missing persons. At the same time, he has to coordinate with First Aid Team and update occupants of incident to Emergency Manager (EM). Meanwhile, Security Controller will have to detect first which area the fire is burning out. To stop the fire, Fire Fighter Team must assemble at the Fire Control Room and go to fire burning out lead by Incident Controller (IC) until Fire and Safety Department arrive.

 

At the same time Evacuation Controller (EC) send information from Assembly Point got missing person. Once done, search and rescue do the duty survive the victim conduct by Incident Controller (IC). When the victim was found, Search & Rescue team must send victim to the Casualty Point Area, and First Aider will continue to give treatment for victims until the ambulance has arrives to send to the victim to the nearest hospital. The next step to evacuate building must have Supervisor to asses evacuation success or not and that person is Fire Fighter & Safety Department. The role of supervisor in the evacuation drill affects Fire Certificate (FC).

Is Fire Certificate (FC) required?

Premises or buildings at high risk of catching fire must get a Fire Certificate (FC) issued by the Fire Fighter & Safety Department to ensure public safety. You should have an internal inspection done by a hired professional fire contractor that can give your fire extinguishers a more detailed inspection. During your annual inspection, a professional will be able to inspect the mechanical parts of your fire extinguishers and make sure everything is in order with them before Fire Fighter & Safety Department do the inspection to get the fire certification. It is important that you ensure your fire extinguishers and firefighting system at your building is in good condition to prevent from being compound by the authority.

Find out more about about Emergency Response Plan Training and various Emergency Response Training courses