Fire Management: Prevention, Detection, and Response Technics/Approaches

Gbolahan Samuel Moronfolu

INTRODUCTION

Fire incidents have long held an unprecedented position as one of the ferocious threats to human existence. Fire incidents or outbreaks as the case may be, not only destroy homes and property, they can also consume vast expanses of wilderness or entire neighborhoods and take the lives of people within affected areas.

Once initiated, by either malicious acts or human errors, fire can spread rapidly and become extremely hard to control or extinguish with an increasing alarming speed and grievous destructive consequences, affecting both the innocent and the initiator(s), making them both helpless victims.

Fire has often been described by many as the greatest and loyal servant but the worst master, difficult to control when it turns into a conflagration, burning and destroying everything in its path.

In the rage of its fury, fire has no respect for anyone, not even the monarch, educated and highly placed in the society. Buildings and other infrastructures, event centers, religious gatherings, business premises as well as human and domestic lives need protection against fire outbreaks.

Study revealed that most homes where fatal fire incidents occur are rarely protected by smoke detectors. Fire deaths are reportedly higher for males than females and are also higher for the elderly than younger people.

Record has it that most homes fire incidents attended by the fire fighters are quite small. It is also recorded that in blocks of flats, the most common cause of fire outbreak is cooking appliances, faulty power outlets and negligence in most cases.

Arson is also a common cause of fire incidents in blocks of flats, though arson is most often observed in stairwells and cellars and is rarely directed at living accommodations. Arson no doubt, is the most common cause of fire incidents in public buildings.

Dry weather and harmattan season has also been identified as the major cause and escalation of fire incidents in the Country in recent times. Indiscriminate storage of petroleum products in living houses, shops and market places; careless disposal of cigarette stubs, use of adulterated fuel, faulty power surge, electric sparks and illegal connection of electricity as well as oil pipelines vandalism are all sources of fire outbreaks.

OTHER CAUSES OF FIRE:- Fire can be caused by three major reasons namely (i) CARELESSNESS:- This is the most common form of Fire outbreaks and could manifest via: (1) Overloading of Electrical circuits (ii) Storing of flammable materials, Liquids in homes and offices without adequate protection/marking e.g Highly e.g Highly flammable – No smoking etc. (ii) Handling of flammable gas by children (iv) lighting of Candles without proper protection at the base.

(2) ARSON/WILFUL ACT:- It is an act of setting something on fire intentionally, unlawfully or deliberately.

(3) ACCIDENT /ACT OF GOD:- Unforseen circumstances beyond human control resulting into the fire outbreaks i.e Earthquake, Thunderstorm and Volcanic eruption etc.

On the other hand, many people have faulted the responsiveness of fire services and emergency first responders in the country, who have been reputed to always arrive late and without sufficient firefighting equipment, even when they arrive early to the scene of fire incidents.

There have also been renewed calls for the federal and state governments to adequately fund the fire department and emergency response agencies. On the other hand, property and business owners have also been blamed for the poor culture of insuring properties to mitigate the damages and misery of the misfortune.

Over time, public buildings have become larger and more complex in design and features. Fire compartments, assemble and muster points in building facilities have increased greatly in size and more people can be taken in than before.

On the other hand, one of the greater dangers with fire in public buildings is when fire gases spread to corridors, stairwells and other open spaces. This makes evacuation more difficult as the fire spreads to other parts of the building.

The rapid rate at which fire develop means that people often fail to realize how quickly they must respond to a fire incident. The division and ability to identify responsibilities by those involved as original occupants, is also a problem, as Visitors rely on those responsible for the day to day activities in the building.

However, personnel in a building often lack proper training on how to deal with and manage fire incidents. Fire protection in public buildings is largely dependent on organizational factors and technical measures. The fire fighters play more important role in life saving in public buildings than in homes.

Early detection of any fire is clearly vital in public buildings, for easy management. Proper fire education, awareness and prompt information sharing in both public and private premises are also important, to enable personnel deal with a fire timely at the initial stage of development.

It is imperative to note here that incessant fire outbreaks in recent times has cost the national economy about N10 trillion in the last seven years, with major cities like Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt , Abuja experiencing serious consequences of the scourge. The economic implications of fire outbreaks to investment and growth of the nation cannot be over emphasized.

The increasing incidents of market fire in particular has a serious economic consequences of depriving traders and homes means of livelihood thereby threatening the survival of several market men and women who expectedly were breadwinners of their respective families not to talk of the huge investment loss caused by industrial fire outbreaks, oil and gas and other national asset are also not spared.

Our best defense is the prevention of fire occurrence before they begin and escalate, because it is more costly to fight or manage incidents. Indeed, through effective controls and inspections, incorporating safety as an integral organizational structural component, this threat can be significantly reduced or avoided.

In all fire situations, the protection of human lives must be the most important factor, as Property can be replaced, information recompiled, and other materials remade, but the human life irreplaceable. This at all time must be the overriding consideration in every prevention and response plan.

*Moronfolu is a seasoned security consultant with many years of security and policing experience. FELLOW, Fourth Estate Professional Society (FFPS), he has also partaken in peace keeping operations within and outside the country and has flair for general security education.