The Fire Services Bureau (CB) told a meeting of the Central District Community Service Consultative Council yesterday that 5,460 households were found between August 13 to September 16 to have blocked residential building passageways with a range of objects, the government-appointed council’s deputy convener, Lei Chong In, said.
Lei noted that the Framework Law on Fire Safety in Buildings and Premises took effect on August 17. He also said that the Fire Services Bureau inspected 24,196 households between August 13 and September 16, about 5,460 of which were found to have violated the new law by blocking the buildings’ passageways with shoe cabinets and other objects.
Lei made the remarks during a press briefing after the council’s closed-door meeting with firemen at the Patane Activity Centre.
Among the 5,460 households, more than 2,500 immediately removed the items from the communal areas in the buildings after being urged to do so by the firemen, Lei noted, pointing out that over 2,800 households did not answer the door, while 20 refused to cooperate with the firemen and failed to remove the objects blocking the passageways – corridors and staircases in particular.
According to the firemen, “significant” improvements have, however, been made to tackle “severely” blocked passageways, reflecting households’ growing awareness of fire safety.
Lei said that in the early days of the law, the bureau will focus on giving advice on not blocking buildings’ public spaces. Households that refuse to comply with the law by not removing their belongings from the passageways will be revisited by firemen, Lei added. If there is a serious risk to fire safety, the bureau will remove the items and fine the offenders.
According to Lei, the firemen stressed that in the future the bureau will carry out regular inspections of buildings and follow up and prioritise buildings that continue to have “serious” fire safety issues.
Meanwhile, Lei quoted the firemen as saying during yesterday’s meeting that in order to raise public awareness of fire safety in buildings and premises, the bureau has distributed more than 4,100 posters in 1,277 buildings, adding that it has also organised 10 seminars with various associations and sectors to explain the contents of the new law.
In the wake of the new law, which was passed by the legislature last year but only took effect in August this year, the bureau has organised a fire safety training programme with 109 classes attended by more than 6,900 people, Lei said, pointing out that during the building inspections firemen found that many corridors, staircases and rooftops were blocked by a variety of objects, and many of the fire doors were not kept closed at all times, and some of them were even damaged.
According to Lei, the bureau has produced three promotional videos to be broadcast on television and to be shown on public buses, and it has also released graphical abstracts and posters through various information platforms.
Lei quoted the firemen as saying that more languages such as English, Indonesian and Burmese will be added to the bureau’s fire safety posters, while the fines for fire safety breaches will be raised to increase their deterrent effect.
Central District Community Service Consultative Council deputy convener Lei Chong In (right) and member Mok Chio Kuan pose during yesterday’s press briefing after the government-appointed council’s closed-door meeting with Fire Services Bureau (CB) officers at the Patane Activity Centre. – Photo: Yuki Lei
