All you need to know about fire safety in residential buildings

In 2022, the fire service officials in Dhaka evaluated 1,162 buildings and labelled 136 of them as "extremely risky" and 499 as "risky" in terms of fire hazards. The recent incidents in Bailey Road, Moghbazar and Narayanganj demand a closer inspection of the risks of fire hazards not only in commercial buildings but also in residential ones, especially when it comes to highrises.

According to the Bangladesh National Building Code (2020), a building can be considered a highrise if it is 10-storied or more, whereas the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA, 2012) defines high-rise buildings as "buildings greater than 75 feet (approximately 23m) in height where the building height is measured from the lowest level of fire department vehicle access to the floor of the highest occupiable story. Meanwhile, the Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Act (2003) defines highrises as buildings with seven stories or more.

According to Shahjahan Sikder from the Fire Service Media Cell, fire services usually follow the definition under the 2003 Act and prepare guidelines for all residential and commercial buildings based on this definition. Section 7 of the Act requires the approval of the Directorate General of Fire Service and Civil Defence for any structural design or layout of a multi-storied commercial building. Rule 22 of the 2014 Rules supplements the Act by requiring an occupancy certificate to ensure building compliance with safety requirements.

Shahjahan Sikder explained these prerequisites before getting the no-objection certificate from the fire services as mentioned in the fourth part of the Bangladesh National Building Code. Before buying a flat or renting an apartment in any residential establishment, this should be the primary checklist when it comes to fire safety:

Emergency exit

Every opening of the emergency exits should be sealed with a fire door. The fire exits should be a one-way path and open from floors to the staircase, not the other way around. The emergency staircases should have a higher air pressure so that in cases of emergencies, flames, smoke or heat cannot enter the passage from the floors. The emergency exit should be used only in cases of emergencies and should go all the way down to the basement instead of having multiple stops and purposes.

Alternative safe spaces

There should be additional safe lobbies near the staircases so occupants of a building can remain safe until they reach the ground floor using the emergency exit. The rooftops are also considered safe spaces in case it gets difficult to evacuate the building in time. There should not be any other establishment on the rooftop space so it can be used for such cases.

Detection and protection mechanisms

Every building must have fire alarms and necessary control panels to detect specific locations of origin. The buildings should also have necessary firefighting equipment. This requirement is different for different buildings but all buildings must have fire extinguishers. Moreover, 18 percent of the total occupants of a building also need to be trained by fire service officials so they can manage emergencies before the arrival of fire service officials.

"Fire service also arranges regular inspection sessions and fire drills. If any irregularities are found in the inspections, we usually issue a verbal warning, followed by an official notice upon further non-compliance. If the magistrate permits it, we also set up mobile courts to ensure fire safety and fine relevant authorities if found non-compliant," said Shahjahan Sikder.