How to Protect From Fire in a Communal Building

When we think about the possibility of a fire breaking out in our own home, it can seem unlikely. After all, if you are responsible, have all the necessary fire prevention measures in place, and have a lot of common sense in reserve, you are unlikely to start a fire. However, if you live in a common building, such as an apartment building, apartment house, or spend time away from home in a hotel, it's not just you and your immediate family. Which may constitute a danger. You have no control over the preparedness or safety of others in the building. So with that in mind, it makes sense to make sure that you are fully prepared for any eventuality.

Escape Plan

If you spot a fire that's out of control you need to alert the fire service by call. Remember to -

·         Stay calm

·         Tell the call handler everything they need to know clearly

Smoke detectors should have been installed in the communal building; alert other residents that a fire has broken out.

If you can, you can help stop a fire by closing the doors when you escape the building. Any door can help stop the fire because it minimizes the amount of oxygen available to the fire, and the fire must also pass through that barrier to get to the next space. Once you get to the ground floor, the easiest way to escape is probably through the building's emergency exit door. This style of door generally has a "panic bar", which is a bar that runs the full width of the door and that you can easily push to open the door and access the outside.

Once outside the building, go to the meeting point. If you don't know where you are, be sure to move away from the burning building. The farthest corner of a building's parking lot is often used as a meeting point.

Things to Remember

Making sure you - and the rest of the residents - get out safely when a fire breaks out in a communal building is top priority. So don't waste time gathering precious personal items - these extra minutes could be the difference between life and death - or at least escaping without injury or with.

In terms of giving yourself the best chance of getting out of a burning building it's wise to do some prep first. Make yourself aware of where fire escapes and fire exit doors are. Check out the escape plan and where the assembly point is. And always use stairs in a fire - never a lift.

The old saying 'knowledge is power' is totally applicable in the case of fire. So arm yourself with as much information as possible about the communal building you're in and take part in practice fire drills too.