BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

SMOKE detectors should be installed in every house to give households vital additional time to survive a fire, said a Fire and Rescue officer.

Operation “D” Command Officer SSFAR Hj Mohammad Hj Sulaiman said the primary cause of deaths in fires occurs when one realises too late that one’s trapped.

This was said at the Fire and Rescue Department’s Poster Handover Ceremony yesterday in conjunction with the department’s 54th Anniversary on March 9, 2014.

However the fiery heat is not the only element that kills; smoke inhalation can make victims unconscious and unable to escape.

“Early warnings are crucial because fire and smoke spreads swiftly,” he said.

“The inhalation of smoke is the first killer in fires,” he added.

In his speech, Hj Mohammad warned against complacency as fires can take place anytime, regardless of whether its is a cottage or a mansion.

He said that the chances of fire increases when there exists a misconeption or belief that fires is unlikely to happen to us, only to other people.

“This complacency drives us towards procrastination to set up fire safety systems,” he said.

“In this context, every family and community should have a planned emergency fire system to extinguish fires and save lives,” he added.

Besides smoke detectors, he recommends that people be aware of emergency exits and locations of fire extinguishers in their workplaces and homes. “They should be kept in easily accessible places,” he said.

“It is the community’s role at every level to ensure that fire warning and preventive systems function 100 per cent,” he further said.

Following the speech, Fire and Rescue Director Yahya Hj Abd Rahman formally received the posters from Acting Information Director Mawardi Hj Mohammad.

The posters were then passed on by to command post officers, heads department and public relations officers and representatives of ministries.

A khatam Al-Quran ceremony will be held on March 8, and a parade on March 24, 2014 concluding with a blood donation campaign in fire stations in all four districts to mark 54 years of serving the nation and the people.

The Brunei Times