Aug 20, 2011 - ST Forum
I REFER to Monday's report ('SCDF 'ambassadors' to teach seniors
fire safety').
Fires spread in seconds, with barely enough time for anyone to
get out alive from a blazing, heavily padlocked HDB flat. It is
unthinkable that one has to look for keys to unlock the gate to get
out of the flat alive.
In the Marine Terrace fire in March, the victim's body was found
inside the apartment at the front gate, just a step away from
getting out alive. The incident suggested that the escape had been
prevented by the multiple padlocks at the front gate.
Before we teach occupants how to fight a fire, they should be
taught how to escape alive from their flat. A front gate secured
with multiple locks can impede escape and cost lives.
How to get out alive is critical. It is hard for the elderly to
handle a fire extinguisher, which is quite heavy, and most HDB
homes do not have one.
In commercial buildings, it is an offence to padlock or even
key-lock the exit door. In contrast, the only exit in most HDB
flats has multiple locks from the inside. There needs to be a
better fire security system for HDB apartments.
Ang Chin Guan
