Fire Prevention

Fire Safety: Remaining Safe in a High Rise Building in Case of a Fire

Fire outbreak can be a devastating and distressing experience especially if you are living in a high rise building. You should be prepared if ever there is an occurrence of fire in the place where you live in. A fire in a residential building can be restricted in the apartment where it starts. However smoke and heat can travel throughout the building, especially upward. Although high rise buildings are built fireproof, most of what are inside these apartments are combustibles such as your furniture and clothing. With this in mind, fire prevention is essential in this type of building.

There are many preventive methods you can do to protect yourself in a fire emergency. The key is to plan ahead of time and equip yourself with the proper fire protection equipment. Gather basic information on your building so you can come up with ways on how to escape when faced with a fire breakout. Familiarize yourself with the layout of your floor, all the exit locations, the number of doors between your apartment and the stair exit and the position of the fire alarm boxes. These are all necessary in finding your exits in the absence of a power supply.

Place your flashlights in a convenient place and install smoke detectors in your apartment. Be vigilant and report fire hazards to your superintendent if you notice missing exit doors and blocked exits.

It is also your responsibility to keep your own apartment safe. Be careful not to overload your electrical circuits and cords. Replace frayed or worn out electrical and appliance cords immediately. You should also cook with care. Follow the basic fire engineering safety regulations and keep a fire extinguisher inside your apartment to control small contained fires from erupting. Avoid smoking inside the house and dispose cigarette butts carefully. Test your smoke detectors regularly and replace batteries when needed.

In the possibility that the fire came from your apartment, you should remain calm. Get everyone out and instruct them to stay low as you evacuate out of the house. Alert others on your floor and locate the nearest fire alarm box. Most high rise buildings have automatic fire extinguisher and fire sprinkler systems installed which can keep the fire to a minimum until the firefighters arrive.

If the fire is not in your apartment, you should stay inside your house rather than enter a smoke filled hallway especially when the fire is on the floor below your apartment. Turn off your air conditioning unit and always keep your doors closed. Seal your ventilators and other openings where smoke can enter. Call the fire department and describe the conditions in your apartment so that they will able to respond promptly with their fire fighting equipment. If you feel you are in danger, open your window and find a way to get noticed by the firefighters outside.

No matter where you live, either on a high rise building or a residential village, it is important to prepare yourself with the necessary fire safety tools. It might just be all you need to increase your chance of surviving a fire.

No matter where you live, always install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility...Fire Stops With You!