Seriously implement the General Secretary's direction on fire prevention and fighting

Implementing the Prime Minister's Official Dispatch No. 825/CD-TTg dated September 15, 2023 on the direction of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on strengthening fire prevention and fighting work. On September 19, 2023, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Official Dispatch No. 7861/UBND-NC to provincial departments, branches and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns on implementing the Prime Minister's Official Dispatch on the direction of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on strengthening fire prevention and fighting work.

Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Hong Vinh: Assign the Provincial Police to preside over and coordinate with the Department of Construction and relevant provincial departments and branches to advise the Provincial People's Committee to implement the above Official Dispatch of the Prime Minister before September 21, 2023.

The content of the telegram stated that recently, the Central Party Secretariat, the National Assembly, the Government, and the Prime Minister have issued many documents directing ministries, branches, and localities on fire prevention, fighting, and rescue (PCCC and CNCH). However, some ministries, branches, and localities have not implemented the work resolutely, many shortcomings and limitations have not been promptly overcome, the risks of fire and explosion are still very high, leading to particularly serious fires such as the fire in a multi-apartment house (commonly known as a mini apartment) on September 12, 2023 in Khuong Dinh ward, Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi city. Thoroughly implementing the direction of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on strengthening fire prevention and fighting work, providing guidance, information, and widespread propaganda so that people can raise their vigilance, respond promptly to prevent fires and explosions, especially in the upcoming dry season, the Prime Minister requested:

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities continue to focus on seriously implementing, resolutely and effectively directing documents of the Secretariat, the National Assembly, the Government, and the Prime Minister on fire prevention and fighting and search and rescue work, especially Directive No. 47-CT/TW dated June 25, 2015 and Conclusion No. 02KL/TW dated May 18, 2021 of the Secretariat, Resolution No. 99/2019/QH14 dated November 27, 2019 of the National Assembly, Directive No. 01/CT-TTg dated January 3, 2023 of the Prime Minister. The implementation must specify the responsibilities of units, organizations, and individuals; Regularly inspect, monitor, urge, and evaluate results to consider the responsibility of units, organizations, and individuals who do not seriously implement; each cadre, civil servant, and party member must be exemplary in implementing fire prevention and fighting regulations.

- The Ministry of Public Security directs the national police force to preside over and coordinate with relevant departments, branches and agencies to organize a general review and inspection of fire safety at apartment buildings, multi-apartment houses, rental service businesses with high population density, houses combined with production and business with high risk of fire and explosion to assess the current situation, have immediate solutions to limit the occurrence of fire and explosion and minimize damage and consequences caused by fire and explosion (complete the general review before November 15, 2023).

- Ministry of Construction: Review legal regulations on construction and management of multi-apartment housing types and high-density rental service businesses to study, amend, supplement, complete, build, and supplement fire prevention and fighting standards for these types of housing. Urgently complete the revised Regulation QCVN 06:2022/BXD and standards for individual housing (complete before September 30, 2023). Preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to urgently study fire and explosion prevention solutions, overcome existing fire prevention and fighting shortcomings for the above types; at the same time, issue documents guiding technical solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles in fire prevention and fighting for other existing works and facilities; Direct units and localities to guide agencies, organizations and individuals to implement solutions to overcome existing problems and ensure fire safety during use (to be completed before October 30, 2023).

- The Ministry of Industry and Trade reviews, promptly issues or advises competent authorities to issue regulations on responsibility for electricity management (after the meter). Directs the electricity sector to review and detect constructions, facilities, and households that do not ensure safety in electricity use to guide and advise people to ensure fire safety; strengthen inspection and handling of violations in electricity use.

- Ministries, branches, People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities should strengthen propaganda and guidance on fire prevention and fighting, especially fire prevention and fighting skills and escape for people in case of fire or explosion. Information and communication agencies at the central and local levels should strengthen propaganda and guidance on escape and fire prevention and fighting skills for people on mass media. The contents of propaganda and guidance must be specific, concise, easy to understand, easy to remember, and easy to implement.

- The Ministry of Education and Training directs relevant units and educational institutions to immediately organize teaching of fire prevention and escape skills for students.

- The Ministry of Information and Communications directs to strengthen widespread propaganda on mass media to raise people's vigilance and respond promptly to fire and explosion incidents; directs network operators to send text messages to mobile subscribers to propagate and recommend fire prevention and fighting measures and escape skills in case of fire or explosion.

- Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam and other audio-visual media shall devote time slots with many viewers (priority slots from 6:00 to 7:00 and from 19:00 to 21:00 every day on VTV1, VTV3, VOV...) to propagate and advise people on knowledge and skills to prevent fires, explosions, and escape, especially at facilities with high potential risks of fires and explosions, and facilities with large crowds.

- Propose that the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations actively join hands to propagate and mobilize people to strengthen fire safety, first of all among members and families.

- Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities: Rectify construction management activities, especially licensing, inspection, examination, and compliance with construction laws; assign specific responsibilities to each unit, organization, and individual in licensing and managing construction order; strictly handle cases of illegal construction. Direct the organization of a general review and inspection of fire safety in apartment buildings, multi-apartment houses, rental service businesses with high population density, houses combined with production and business with fire and explosion risks, have solutions to limit the occurrence of fire and explosion and minimize damage and consequences caused by fire and explosion. Direct the rectification of state management of fire prevention and fighting, especially at the district and commune levels, review and strictly handle collectives and individuals who commit violations. Increase investment resources for fire prevention and fighting, support the purchase of equipment for fire prevention and fighting and search and rescue to meet the actual situation in the locality.

- Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities are responsible for directing, implementing, inspecting, and urging the implementation of the telegram; seriously reviewing the responsibilities of relevant collectives and individuals who lack responsibility for causing fires and explosions that cause serious damage to people and property in their areas and fields of responsibility.

- Assign the Ministry of Public Security to preside over and coordinate with the Government Office to monitor, urge and inspect the implementation of the telegram in ministries, branches and localities; propose to commend and reward places that have done well, criticize, review and publicly announce places that have not done well, and handle responsibilities for organizations and individuals who are irresponsible in implementation leading to serious consequences. Periodically summarize the situation and report to the Government and the Prime Minister every month. The Prime Minister calls on each person and each family to raise awareness of fire prevention and fighting, put the safety of their life and health first, first of all, identify fire prevention and fighting as protecting the safety of themselves, their loved ones and the whole society.