‘Just go to the washroom, wet your face, hands and body and crawl on the floor until you are safe – then run.” This was the advice I received from an engineer when I asked him how to use the fire hose in the corridor outside my apartment. Great advice if this was a sitcom, but nothing is funny about walking through fire and black clouds of smoke.
When I saw the blazing Abdul Naser building in King Faisal Road in Sharjah last week, I decided to check my fire extinguisher and figure out the best way to escape in case of an emergency. Since there is a car park below my residence, my biggest fear is that a fire might trigger car explosions. There are two staircases, both of which are filled with toy cars, bicycles and rubbish bins. They are dark and scary on normal days. So if there is a fire, I imagine they would be terrifying.
My building is just six years old, but if there is a fire outside my apartment I am unlikely to know unless someone knocks on my door. There are alarms and sprinklers, but they don’t work. Also, the entire time I’ve lived here, there has been only one inspection of the fire equipment. I asked the person who came and changed the sticker on the fire extinguisher: “Aren’t you going to see if it works?”
In reply he asked me to sign a form.
So if there is a fire in my kitchen, I guess the wet-and-run escape plan is my only option. But what about my neighbour and her three babies? There has to be a better way.
I had a friend who used to do fire drills with her children. She lived in a high-rise and wanted to ensure that they could get out safely if there is a fire. As for my children, they know how to take the stairs and not the ones on the side of the car park. If parents don’t take the initiative, how will children learn what to do in such a situation? As far as I know, there is no compulsory safety education in school. There are not even signs at school exits showing where to go or what to do in case of a fire.
While escaping the Abdul Naser building fire, many people said they were pushed aside or trampled on. This could lead to more injuries and even fatalities. Then, after all the ordeal, there is the question of what to do and where to go next.
Luckily, there was some help this time. Some residents were provided hotel rooms that were paid for by Emirates Red Crescent. However, there were reports that some were unable to secure accommodation. I don't know what happened to them.
In this horrific tragedy there are many lessons and opportunities. We have learnt that help was there, but more help is needed. This could come in the form of accommodations set aside for tragedies such as this one. Imagine the condition of the Abdul Naser building victims, who lost everything and then were turned away when they sought an accommodation.
It is necessary to make the system of assistance easier – especially for non-Arab residents. It is equally crucial to teach fire safety through television and print adverts and pop-ups on YouTube.
Even after such a huge fire, you could still get a call like the one I did yesterday: “Darling, I left some milk on the stove. Could you check it for me?” This means there is a dire need for fire-safety education.
Don’t leave the house before checking all the fire outlets. It was only by the grace of God that the residents of Abdul Naser building came out unscathed. It could have been otherwise.
Maryam Ismail is a sociologist and teacher who divides her time between the US and the UAE
