Do not let “lock the stable door after the horse has bolted”

(Binh Phuoc Portal) - Recently, committees, authorities, functional forces, socio-political organizations, and people from all walks of life have always been interested in monitoring and joining hands to overcome the consequences of the Khuong Ha mini apartment fire in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi City. It was a tremendous loss for the authorities and the families of relatives in the fire. This incident also raised alarm bells about fire prevention and fighting awareness among the people.

Jeopardy from Fires

In recent years, fires, explosions, incidents, and accidents have developed complicatedly and unpredictably, especially in residential areas, houses combined with production and service businesses, people's markets, commercial centres, high-rise buildings, industrial parks, and crowded establishments. For example, in 2022, many terrible fires occurred, such as the karaoke bar fire in Cau Giay district (Hanoi city) on August 1, killing 3 Fire Protection police soldiers; the warehouse fire that killed three mothers and children in Thanh Oai (Hanoi) on September 10; The karaoke bar fire in Binh Duong province on September 6 killed many people. Most recently, the fire at the mini apartment in Khuong Ha Street, Khuong Dinh Ward, Thanh Xuan District, on September 12, is a valuable lesson for the authorities and endless pain for the relatives of the 56 victims who died.

As per the five-year review conference (2017-2022) on fire prevention, firefighting, and disaster response, the country mobilized almost 236,000 officials and soldiers, along with over 30,400 vehicles, to engage in rescue and relief efforts for nearly 18,000 fire, explosion, incident, and accident incidents. Hundreds of individuals lost their lives in that timeframe, and thousands sustained injuries nationwide. Over 60% of these incidents occurred in urban areas, including fires, explosions, and accidents. Furthermore, 45.8% of these incidents were attributed to electrical issues.

In Binh Phuoc, Colonel Nguyen Tho Bai, Head of the Police Department of Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue, Provincial Police, said: There are still many fires in the province. According to statistics, fires in individual residential apartments and households using residential and business combinations accounted for 40%. Subsequently, Binh Phuoc has developed adaptable fire prevention and rescue models tailored to specific circumstances, focusing on placing people at the centre as the primary actors in fire and explosion prevention and control, rescue, and relief efforts. Prioritizing the safety of people's lives is the foremost concern. Depending on the situation, municipalities are encouraged to devise strategies to prevent incidents and safeguard the people's and state's lives and property.

Slow but not late

After nearly 20 years of living and trading in a crowded market area, Mr. Truong Vu Son in Dieu Ong Street, Tan Binh Ward, Dong Xoai City, only uses water and sand to respond if the " fire" attacks. From April 2023, Mr. Son will join the Fire Safety Joint Team. He has voluntarily procured more modern fire protection tools to promptly and effectively handle fire and explosion situations at home and in the area if unfortunate happens. The attention, propaganda, and guidance of the ward police, functional forces on fire prevention and fighting, rescue, and rescue skills in the "golden time" helped him and the people in the area become more confident. Mr. Son shared: From the day the regional police, city police, and neighbourhood heads propagated, mobilized, and equipped with fire protection equipment, we have followed and been more assured of our property and life.

Although the Model of Fire Safety Joint Team in Tan Binh Quarter, Tan Binh Ward, although newly operated, has effectively promoted the motto "4 on-site", contributing to vigorously spreading the spirit of Fire Protection for each household in the Dong Xoai market area. Since considering fire prevention and fighting as a task of functional forces, people in the area have changed their perception, defining this as the responsibility and obligation of everyone, every home, responsible for coordinating with authorities to react promptly when a fire or explosion occurs.

Mr. Le Trung Tri, Head of Tan Binh Quarter, Tan Binh Ward, said: On both sides of Dieu Ong Street, about 250 households are living and doing business; along Phu Rieng Do Street, National Highway 14 with more than 200 households, we are applying the model of Fire Safety Joint Team. In small alleys, roads under 3.5m and 50m long, the model of public fire fighting points with the participation of 30 members is applied. There have been 10 Fire Protection teams. Since implementing this model, people have been excited to be propagated and instructed on Fire Prevention skills.

Colonel Nguyen Tho Bai added that, when participating in the model, each family usually procures two or more fire extinguishers, rudimentary demolition vehicles, and alarm sound systems. When a household detects a fire and rings the link alarm, adjacent apartments will run over using means to support fire fighting and rescue and rescue. At the same time, make the most of the "golden time" of the first 5 minutes of the fire. 

Fire safety teams are valuable extensions of professional firefighting units during fires and explosions in residential areas and homes. Thanks to their positive outcomes, authorities at all levels, along with the police forces, are actively promoting and propagating these efforts, aiming to expand them throughout the province. The goal is to mobilize and encourage the community to engage in fire prevention actively.

Fire and explosion prevention and fighting is always considered a new and topical issue. All warnings from authorities, functional sectors and people need more attention. In the long run, there must be many solutions, from building permits to urban renovation and strengthening the bar and inspection of business households in Fire Protection. Local authorities, each organization, and individuals, if strictly implementing fire prevention and fighting and rescue solutions, consider this an important task, regularly not only protecting themselves and their families but also minimizing damage to people and property of the State and people. Do not let “lock the stable door after the horse has bolted”./.

According to Radio and Television & Binh Phuoc Newspaper