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Oct 25, 2007

Fire drills outdated and not useful

THIS year alone, I have participated in two fire drills. My office in Shenton Way is located on the 36th floor. Besides trudging down the stairs, we had to walk about 200m to report at the assembly point.

To make matters worse, the recent drill was held at 9.30am and lasted an hour. Besides working up a sweat, we had to endure the heat while waiting for roll-call at the assembly area.

I have participated in fire drills for the past 16 years. Every exercise involves the same procedure - the fire alarm rings and the tenants wait for the announcement before they make their way to the stairs to evacuate the building. This procedure is outdated and not useful.

It is the building authorities' responsibility to look after common areas to ensure that escape routes are not blocked. It is for the tenants to familiarise themselves with the escape routes.

The authorities should:

Educate tenants on what to do in the event of a fire.

Educate tenants on escape routes other than the stairs, such as the rooftop and fire-evacuation windows.

Educate tenants on how to use fire extinguishers.

Provide oxygen tanks and masks and teach their use.

Wendy Lee Fei Yin (Mdm)