Negligence is main cause of UAE home fires
The first of its kind worldwide drive for Families Safety at Homes has been launched.
The campaign aims at spreading preventive behavior amongst all members of the family through regular visits carried out by Civil Defence teams to different houses, deliver its awareness message, and distribute campaign guidelines and publications to the family members, according to Major General Rashid Thani Almatrooshi, UAE's Civil Defence Acting Commander-in-chief announced on Sunday.
According to the outcome of statistical data analysis regarding the size and number of fire accidents seen in UAE during the past five years, the percentage of home fires is the highest resulting in remarkable increase in the size of losses, especially in human lives.
A committee consisting of specialists, Civil Defence field commanders and other concerned bodies was formed to investigate the causes of these fires, ways to prevent them and setting up appropriate remedies. The committee has arrived at the following conclusions regarding both newly constructed houses with full provisions of safety requirements where risk of fire is rare and old houses lacking minimum safety requirements, where risk of fire is high.
According to the committee findings, causes of fire include:
1. Lack of preventive awareness among the people, which lead to negligence. This is considered the main cause of fire.
2. Poor fire safety infrastructure in the old houses.
3. Most of the fires are mainly attributed to improper electrical devices and networks; improper gas cylinders/systems; unapproved construction alterations in the houses and unmonitored ignition sources.
The committee says that unless preventive awareness is widely spread among members of the family, fire prevention at homes cannot be realised. Hence, the comprehensive national awareness safety drive aimed at spreading awareness education and provision of safety requirements at homes.
The starting date for the campaign is Monday [December 20, 2010], when teams all over the UAE will start their visits.
Civil Defence Director in each concerned emirate or city and his team shall implement the campaign in their jurisdiction. Sector commanders and deputy and awareness officers shall visit the houses to illustrate the campaign and attend to questions.
They shall Inspect the house in the presence of the house owner and with consent, as per the approved form. The team will fill, sign and deliver a copy of safety inspection form to the family. It will also submit a copy of the inspection form to Civil Defence centre in the concerned jurisdiction. Awareness officer shall take down the details of the house and owner's satisfaction questionnaire as per the attached form. The Sector commander shall deliver a bag containing the following awareness publications in both Arabic/English languages: Guidelines sticker/My house is safe/My child is safe/My kitchen is safe/My tent is safe/Energy conservation Tips.
Special awareness board is prepared to be hung on the door of the house/flat if found locked, along with a bag containing all other publications concerning the campaign.
Sector's deputy commander shall write the house owner's suggestions regarding safety in the house.
At the end of the visit, while the team is leaving a sticker with campaign Logo shall be stuck to the door of the house, written on it in both Arabic/English: The house has been visited, Thank you.
Civil Defence directors in the various emirates or city shall monitor the verification process of the visit results, being forwarded to Civil Defence Commander-in-Chief's office.
Media Coordinator shall publish a monthly report on the campaign results.