Dubai: When a fire breaks out, the last thing one would want is for the fire extinguisher to be broken or the alarm to be out of order.
Gulf News reader Firdos Abdeali Poonawala, a sales manager based in Dubai, witnessed the lack of such essential fire safety systems when visiting a store in the Al Qusais area.
He was shocked to see the condition of the fire hose and alarms present, as they are vital in combatting a fire in case of an emergency.
He said: “It seemed to me like the hose and alarms had not been fixed for a long time, maybe five or six years.”
He was surprised to see these old fire systems, especially in Dubai, because he is aware that the authorities have implemented strict fire safety regulations.
According to the Dubai Civil Defence’s official website, there must be “regular testing of fire-fighting equipment, such as fire pumps. These are coordinated from the control room to ensure that systems are live and active.”
Since 2007, there has been a slight decrease in fire related incidents. According to the Dubai Police Forensic Laboratory (DPFL), there were 5,490 declared fire incidents in Dubai between 2006-2013, which translate to approximately two fires per day.
For Poonawala, fire hose reels and alarm systems are indispensable to big establishments like warehouses and office buildings, because they can minimise the growth of a fire outbreak before the arrival of firefighters. Home and work place security is at the top of his priority list.
He said: “There are innumerable phenomena and sometimes catastrophic incidences that potentially destroy all your valued investments and even endanger your life. Fire, for instance, is an inevitable reality, which may either be man-made or natural. However, whatever the cause of fire accidents, we need to be sure that we have all the necessary safety equipment to help us combat its destructive and damaging outcome.”
He hopes that readers will pay more attention to fire safety regulations and keep their home and work environments well-equipped to handle any emergency.
— The writer is an intern with the Readers Desk at Gulf News.
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