Forum: Residents play a key role in preventing household fires

We refer to Mr Gabriel Chia’s letter, “

Consider centralised fire detection systems in housing estates

” (July 24).

There are fire safety requirements in place for residential premises, including HDB flats. These include features such as fire compartmentation, where each flat is built to prevent fire spread by containing a fire within the unit; naturally ventilated corridors that help disperse smoke; and exit staircases for safe evacuation.

There are also requirements for firefighting provisions such as fire lifts and rising mains, to facilitate swifter firefighting operations by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

For commercial and industrial buildings, central fire alarm systems are necessary to alert occupants in the event that a mass evacuation is necessary, due to their large size and complex layout, and the higher risks of fire spread.

In contrast, mass evacuation is rarely needed for residential premises, because of their fire safety features. In the event of a residential unit fire, evacuation is typically limited to the affected floor and the immediate floors above, as a precautionary measure.

Residents play a critical role in fire prevention. The top three causes of fires in residential premises are unattended cooking, electrical faults, and unattended lighted materials. To prevent such fires, residents are strongly advised not to leave cooking unattended, and to avoid overloading power sockets or charging devices overnight without supervision. They should also ensure that lighted materials such as incense or cigarettes are never left unattended, and are fully extinguished before disposal.

By adopting these simple but important safety habits, we can make our living environment safer from fires.

In June 2018, SCDF introduced the Home Fire Alarm Device (HFAD) requirement to enhance early fire detection, for all new residential premises and existing premises that undergo fire safety works (for example, the installation or replacement of fire-rated doors). HFADs help to detect smoke and provide early warning to the affected occupants. While not mandatory for homes built before June 2018, we strongly encourage all home owners to install HFADs for their own safety. More information on HFADs, including their installation and list of suppliers, can be found on SCDF’s

website

.

For more fire safety tips, the public can download the Civil Defence Emergency Handbook, available in four languages, from go.gov.sg/cdemergencyhandbook.

Ryan Ong
Assistant Commissioner
Director, Fire Safety Department
Singapore Civil Defence Force