Stand-alone devices not as effective

Under the Fire Safety Code, commercial and industrial buildings with a certain occupant load and floor area are required to have a fire safety manager and automatic water-sprinkler system.

This helps to promote fire safety and reduce the number of fires in such buildings.

In some cases, the fire can even be extinguished before the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrives.

However, private homes and Housing Board flats are currently not required to have fire protection systems, fire extinguishers, water sprinklers or heat and smoke detectors.

Smoke alarms will help with raising alertness (All new homes to have smoke alarms from June; Aug 11), but I am not sure how they will help to prevent fire incidents, especially since they won't be linked to a fire alarm monitoring system.

Leo Chan

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 15, 2017, with the headline Stand-alone devices not as effective. Subscribe