Modern building codes needed to prevent fires

Dear Editor,
Fire trucks should be the ultimate resort in the arena of housing construction, commercial building designs, and safety systems. From the inception of a flame, safety measures must kick-start the process of containment and evacuation, while attendant personnel (trained in Disaster Management, CPR, OSHA etc) serve to direct evacuation and assist with manning whatever firefighting equipment is on premises.
Sounds like the perfect workplace situation, but not for Guyana, as most of its Public Service today function in a Flintstones era. The irony of this scenario is that Guyana would finally get a modern, well equipped Police station.
The Brickdam Police Station fire is yet another episode in which a public service entity — this time the Fire Service — displayed the gaping holes in its function and equipment. And why were there no fire extinguishers on premises, or fire hoses inside the standard glass cabinets? What is even more mind boggling are the methods used to arrive from Stabroek Market to the fire scene…2 minutes away! Seems the holes in the modus operandi employed by the Fire Service could only be outdone by the holes in the fire hoses!
All persons who work in both public and private sectors must be cognisant of the five primary methods that are employed worldwide in cases of fire. The acronym RACEE aptly depicts this: R = Rescue anyone in immediate danger, A = Alarm – Call the fire department, C = confine the smoke/fire by closing doors and windows, E = evacuate all persons, E = extinguish small fires with portable fire extinguishers.
STRICT BUILDING CODES AND REGULAR INSPECTIONS NEEDED TO PREVENT FIRES, and Guyana needs a complete overhaul of its building codes and safety standards. Here are some solutions:
1. Some buildings in Guyana generally do not confirm to the country’s building codes. Single family homes are secretly converted into tenant-occupied residences, so that homeowners can accommodate family members and get some rental income. The flaw in this is that the original plumbing and electric systems for a single family have to support tenants with additional appliances for the same outlets. In other words, in a single-family house, the electrical system is built to accommodate one microwave oven, an air conditioner and a refrigerator, but having tenants means more appliances — enough to induce overloading of the electrical circuits. In some cases, extension cords are hidden under carpets, and their multiple connections could induce spark, which in turn could result in burning the carpet. Then there is the scenario where persons break off the earth safety prongs in three way plugs to accommodate plug-ins, which is a fire hazard.
2. Single-room occupancy buildings, prevalent in hospitals and other multi-family buildings, should be inspected on a yearly basis, in order to prevent fires.
3. In Guyana, the building codes and zoning regulations should be updated to allow a minimum space of roughly eight feet between buildings, to facilitate evacuation as well as allow access to firefighters.
4. Given the spate of fires on commercial buildings, especially attached ones, it should be mandated that all commercial buildings be fitted with modern sprinkler systems, to prevent their entire destruction in case of fire. Automated oxygen retardant systems should also be installed inside commercial buildings, so that an increase in temperature (say at 110F) would trigger off the chemical spray which would reduce the oxygen in the fire, and thus contain it.
Smoke alarms should be installed in homes and along the corridors of commercial buildings, which are the principal pathways for smoke.
5. Bonds, regardless of what is stored, need to be sectionalised, much like the compartments in ships, especially oil tankers. All compartments must be fire-proof. This, coupled with periodic safety inspections, must be the way forward.
Storage of cooking gas containers must never be inside a closed building. Propane is highly flammable, and needs to be stored outdoors: any leakage/explosion would dissipate harmlessly into the atmosphere.
6. Perhaps the worst aspect of construction in Guyana is the electrical system, materials and installation codes, all of which should be updated to reach international standards. For example, the main power distribution centre in both residential and commercial buildings should be equipped with fly-back circuit breakers in the event of an overload.
7. Fire hydrants, which are generally taken for granted by many, should instead be seen as a means of emergency water supply to fight fires. For the safety of all Guyanese, young or old, The Bureau of Standards must make it its duty to monitor the quality of electrical fittings and accessories, most of which are imported from China. And while these electrical accessories are cheap, the Bureau of Standards should not sacrifice life for cost…
And the Housing Authority must determine the safety features and occupancy of commercial buildings.
8. In the final analysis, the authorities should put safety first, and institute polices which must be mandated by law to prevent further tragedies.
All buildings must be insured, have sprinkler systems, and undergo a yearly inspection by the Fire Department, in which pitfalls would be identified and corrected. Fines must be imposed on all forms of non-compliance if Guyana is truly serious about preventing fires.
Just a little note: I spent a night in the Brickdam lock-ups along with former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee while picketing Parliament in 1988. It was a nasty stinking place.

Sincerely,
Leyland Chital
Roopnaraine
Real Estate Builder
(New York)