• Keep an eye on the expiry date of firefighting equipment such as fire extinguishers and recharge them regularly. Check whether the pressure in fire hydrants is adequate.
• Organise fire drills regularly. Support staff of the building and residents should participate in the drills.
• Prominently display directions of the staircase and fire exits on each floor.

A fire is one of the biggest threats to a multi-storey building and following some basic fire-safety norms like these can cover great lengths to combat fires in high-rises, an officer in the fire and emergency services said.

On July 18, more than a dozen residents of the Sunrise Point housing complex in New Town’s Action Area II had to be evacuated after smoke started billowing out of the eighth floor of a 14-storey building.

There have been multiple incidents of fire in the city.

The officer told The Telegraph that housing complexes should take steps to ensure that the risk of a fire breaking out is minimal at all times and adequate safety measures are in place.

Residents as well as the support staff of the building or the complex must know how to use fire extinguishers.

“A building might have one or more fire extinguishers on every floor but they are useless if people don’t know how to operate them. Basic drills involving the use of such fire-safety equipment, with the active participation of residents as well as support staff, including housekeeping and security personnel, can make a huge difference. Housekeeping and security personnel are often the first responders,” the officer said.

According to the officer, firefighting equipment such as chemical-based fire extinguishers that have an expiry date should be checked regularly and must be recharged periodically.

Water sprinklers, smoke alarms and the pressure in fire hydrants, too, must be checked every couple of months. The rubber hoses of hydrants should be inspected and used now and then to ensure there is adequate water pressure and there are no leaks.

As in every mechanical apparatus, firefighting equipment, too, suffers from regular wear and tear.

Another official in the fire department said the fire-safety recommendations vary from one housing complex to another, depending on the floor plan, area, height and the distance between two staircases in a block.

“It is mandatory for all housing societies to have a fire licence and renew it every three years after getting the premises inspected by the authorities,” the official said.

At Urbana, one of the tallest housing complexes in the city, residents are given hands-on experience of using the safety equipment.

Kohinoor Mandal, who lives in a duplex on the 42nd and 43rd floors at Urbana, said fire drills are organised every three months to show residents how to operate extinguishers and fire hydrants.

South City resident Manoj Gupta, too, said such drills are a regular affair in their complex. “We conduct regular checks of the firefighting equipment. All towers have proper signage on the floors that show the way towards the staircases and the fire exits,” said Gupta.

Ranjan Basu, president of the residents’ association at Rosedale Garden, near Karigari Bhavan in Action Area III in New Town, said they have a dedicated fire response team for the upkeep of the equipment and run regular checks to ensure staircases and fire exits are not blocked.

“We regularly request residents not to keep items such as step ladders, bicycles and boxes in common areas.
Workshops on fire safety and drills are also organised,” said Basu.

Fire and emergency services minister Sujit Bose said residents of big housing complexes as well as those who live in standalone multi-storeyed buildings must keep basic firefighting equipment such as fire extinguishers handy.

“We often ignore the state of electrical wirings and electronic appliances in our homes. On many occasions, fires are caused by a short circuit. Spraying water on such fires can turn them even more nasty. A chemical fire extinguisher can help put out the fire,” Bose said.