Civic body to put up fire safety posters at all buildings in city : Hindustan Times

The civic body has decided to fix posters on all housing societies in the city to create awareness about the dos and don’ts in case of a fire.

The move comes f ollowing recommendations by the inquiry committee that investigated the Kalbadevi fire about the need to create awareness among citiz ens about f i re safety.

T he posters will be put up on the notice board or at the entrance of every single residential and commercial building in the city, an official said.

At least 10 things to do and avoid in case of a f ire will be i ncluded on t he poster. Of f i cials said t he exercise would start next month.

“This is civic chief Ajoy Mehta’s initiative and he has asked us to formulate a set of instructions to be included on the poster. All buildings in the city will have to display this poster,” said PS Rahangdale, chief fire officer (in charge), Mumbai Fire Brigade.

Our aim is to educate everyone, including children, about fire safety and what needs to be done i n case of af i re,” Rahangdale added.

Recently, the department faced a major setback while fighting a fire in a building in the congested Kalbadevi area, leading to the death of its top four fire officers including the chief fire officer.

Last week, a fire in a Powai high-rise led to death of seven people. The department also slapped notices on housing societies for failing to comply with fire safety norms.

“Citizens are unaware about the basic dos and don’ts during such an emergency. It is important that they are educated about it and the law that makes fire safety equipment in every building mandatory. The poster will also mention the penalty and punishment under the Maharashtra Fire Services Act for non-compliance of fire safety nor ms,” Rahangdale said.