The local pages as of late have carried a lot of news items on the break out of fire in different parts of this country. And the extreme heat of summer here persists long enough to give rise to other vulnerable and potentially dangerous areas.
According to Civil Defense sources, the fire that burned the museum of Abdul Rauf Khalil in Jeddah literally gutted it out. Were it not for the priceless regional antiques housed in this museum, it may have been written off as just another one of those fires. More recently, a fire broke out in one of the warehouses in the industrial district of Dammam, wrecking the structure beyond salvage.
And most of us recall the horrific events of the tragedy that befell a girls’ school in Makkah a few months ago, resulting in the heartrending death of so many young lives. Which brings me to the theme of today’s column.
Schools are out, and the children are off for the summer. There are literally thousands of schools in the various regions of this country that need quick attention in terms of fire hazards. Would now not be the perfect time for the Civil Defense authorities across the country to implement a series of actions, steps that would work to minimize further such unfortunate events?
Their lament that fire hazard awareness campaigns are often met with a lukewarm response is only natural from a public that has yet to see real evidence of action from these men in brown. And if our friends at the Civil Defense Bureau are at a loss on how to go about it, may I suggest the following as an immediate remedy:
A. Group schools into smaller parcels of zonal inspection within each region.
B. Set up inspection teams comprised of qualified fire fighting inspectors.
C. Begin inspection visits to each establishment within their zone of responsibility.
D. Insist that the landlord or the school owner is in tow with the inspection team and is taking notes.
E. Verify the access and availability of an adequate number of fire extinguishers, and check to see if they have been periodically serviced.
F. In larger school buildings, check for the presence of fire fighting sprinklers in the different classrooms.
G. Look for prominent displays of emergency exit signs in all areas.
H. Physically tear down all metal bars across all classroom windows. These are an aberration in institutions of learning.
I. Break free all chains wrapped and padlocked around the handles of exit doors.
J. Run a count of all emergency exits, ensuring an adequate number for the building occupants.
K. Demand that fire alarms are installed on each floor, accessible to young and old in case of a real emergency.
L. Examine electrical junctions and distribution boxes for safety and electrical cable security. Power outlets and power consuming machinery should also be tested.
M. Ensure street access to these buildings is adequate enough to accommodate fire-fighting equipment in case of a real emergency.
N. Set up a time frame for the landlord/owner to perform the necessary refurbishment or repairs within the establishment. If he or she fails, close the school down! No "wasta" necessary.
O. Prior to the start of school in the fall, run some fire drills with the staff and teachers of schools.
This I believe is the proper way to perform an effective awareness campaign. Not the passing out of leaflets at traffic stops, or some department speaker droning on about the past achievements of the bureau in a crowded lecture hall!
As I see it then, this should be the mission of our Civil Defense. Taking preventive steps before having to react in case of an emergency. Would that be too much to ask for? Remember, the price for such failures is beyond any measurable proportion!
— Tariq A. Al-Maeena , [email protected]