Civil Defence imposes certain measures and takes initiatives to reduce the risk of fire and provide protection to life and property against it. In residential units, fire safety is a crucial factor.
In 2018, the UAE Civil Defense, with the support of the Ministry of Interior, launched the Hassantuk fire protection system. With the system in place, the UAE Civil Defense monitors and detects smoke and fire alarms, in real-time, in residential apartments and commercial buildings. Installation of Hassantuk (Commercial) is required in all public and private buildings as per law no. 24 of 2012. This system helps in strengthening the country’s safety infrastructure.
However, as a resident of an apartment, it is your responsibility to know how to escape the building quickly in the event of a fire. Here we will discuss all the important tips for fire safety in apartments.
How to Prevent Apartment Fires
The most effective tip for fire safety in apartments is to prevent fire from starting in the first place. The following fire safety measures in apartments will help you prevent apartment fires.
Be Careful When Cooking
One of the fire safety measures in apartments is to never leave an unattended stovetop. Make sure you turn off all burners and equipment as soon as you’re done with cooking. Always keep clothing and other combustible things away from flames when frying or cooking with oil or grease.
Maintain Space with Heaters
Heaters should be kept at least three feet away from walls. Although they are less common in apartment buildings, wood-burning heaters and fireplaces should still be properly cleaned and maintained if you do use one.
Before discarding ashes, make sure they have cooled, and avoid placing them in combustible containers.
Check Your Fire Extinguishers
Having a fire extinguisher on hand to put out small flames is another way to ensure fire safety in apartments. As part of your home maintenance checklist, make sure the fire extinguisher is updated and functioning correctly.
If your fire extinguisher has been used, it may need to be refilled.
Put Out Candles After Use
Exercise caution when using candles in your apartment. Place candles far from curtains and other combustible materials, and never leave an open flame unattended.
Before leaving the room or going to bed, put out candles. Also, double-check your lease; certain buildings don’t allow any open flames.
Avoid Smoking in the Bedroom
Never smoke in bed unless you have to. Always put out cigarettes, cigars, and other burning items completely before properly discarding them. That said, if you have an active smoker in your family, you may want to go through these tips to clean a smoker’s room.
Keep lighters and matches out of children’s reach.
Ensure Extra Care With Furniture and Appliances
Despite being safer than in the past, materials used to make upholstered furniture can still catch fire fast and generate poisonous chemicals. Take extra care to keep upholstered chairs and sofas away from candles, heat sources, and active smokers.
Use appliances as instructed, inspect electrical cords and replace broken ones. You may contact any of the MEP companies in Dubai if you require the repair of your electrical appliances.
Fire Safety Plan for Apartment Buildings
The likelihood of accidents and other incidents that could start a fire naturally rises when many people live nearby. People residing in an apartment must know how to get out quickly in the event of a fire. Let’s find out how to build fire safety in an apartment and how to act in case a fire erupts.
Building Fire Safety
- Do not immediately open the stairway or exit doors in case of a fire. They are meant to slow the spread of smoke and heat in case of a fire.
- If you see a broken or expired smoke alarm, fire extinguisher, or emergency light, talk to your apartment supervisor about it. Annual battery replacement is required in such fire safety devices.
- Make sure the smoke alarms in your apartment are operational. Each bedroom should have a smoke alarm.
Create an Escape Plan
- In case you need to find the exit in the dark, you must memorise the number of doors between your apartment and the closest fire exit.
- Know the locations of all the staircases and exits on your floor.
- Find out your building’s emergency plan, if there is one. Practise a fire drill in your apartment.
- If the fire emergency plan has not been displayed in your building, inform your apartment supervisor about it. Many security companies in Dubai offer to prepare your building’s fire evacuation plans as well.
Stay Calm if a Fire Erupts
If a fire erupts, you must move to the exit as practised in the fire drill. Once you are outside, call the fire department at 997.
- Do not try to open your door if it feels warm to the touch.
- Fill the gaps around the door and cover vent covers with tape, towels, rags, or bedding.
- Wait at a window and wave a white cloth or use a flashlight to signal for assistance.
- Open your apartment door cautiously if it feels cool to the touch. Keep low and scan the hallway for smoke or fire. Follow the evacuation procedures for your apartment if the hallway is secure.
- Never attempt to escape a fire in an elevator. Take the stairs every time.
Wait Outside for the Firefighters
Once outside the building, keep a good distance from it and give maximum space for the fire department to do their job.
- Do not re-enter the building for any reason.
- Inform the firefighters of any resident you know is still inside the building and their exact location.
- Remain outside until the firefighters signal that it is safe to go inside the building.
That is all about the tips for fire safety in apartments. While many fire safety precautions are the same for all types of residential units, the above-mentioned fire safety tips must be known when renting an apartment.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s leading real estate blog for more information on home and safety.
