Every year, more than 1.564 billion VND is lost in fires.
(Baonghean.vn) - These figures were presented at the online conference on fire prevention, firefighting, and rescue work, organized by the Ministry of Public Security on the morning of September 21st. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung attended and chaired the conference.
At the Nghe An location, Comrade Nguyen Van Thong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; along with representatives from the Provincial People's Council, Provincial People's Committee, relevant departments and agencies, and officers and soldiers of the Provincial Police Department were in attendance.
 |
| A view of the conference at the Nghe An venue. Photo: Phuoc Anh |
In his opening remarks at the conference, Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong, Deputy Minister of Public Security, recalled the fire at Carina Plaza apartment building (Ho Chi Minh City) on March 23, 2018, which killed 13 people and injured 51. The fire caused heavy losses in terms of lives and property, creating a sense of panic and anxiety among the public, and raising an alarm about the current state of fire prevention and control.
Fire and explosion incidents are becoming increasingly complex. Between 2013 and 2017, the country experienced 14,871 fires, resulting in 406 deaths, 989 injuries, and estimated property damage exceeding 7,821 billion VND; and 156 explosions, causing 107 deaths, 248 injuries, and estimated property damage of 18.6 billion VND.
 |
| Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Thong, along with representatives from relevant departments and agencies, attended the conference at the Nghe An branch. Photo: Phuoc Anh |
According to calculations, on average, 2,974 fires occur nationwide each year, resulting in 91 deaths, 198 injuries, and estimated property damage exceeding 1,564 billion VND. Major fires causing serious damage mainly occur in provinces and cities with rapid urbanization and socio-economic development. Notably, although major fires account for only 1% of the total number of fires, they cause approximately 70% of the total property damage.
During the period 2013-2017, the fire prevention and fighting police force promptly and effectively extinguished 9,727 fires, conducted 6,857 rescue operations; guided tens of thousands of people to safety, and directly rescued 2,262 people.
 |
| The scene of the fire at a shop near Quan Lau market (Vinh City) on the afternoon of May 15th. (Photo: Archival image) |
Given the complex nature of fire incidents, the police force, with the Fire Prevention and Control Police as its core, has proactively advised Party committees and authorities, strengthening leadership and guidance in fire prevention and control. Tens of thousands of documents at all levels have been issued; coordination regulations between departments, agencies, and units have been implemented; propaganda, training, and education on fire prevention and control laws and skills have been regularly organized; and inspections, licensing, and post-inspection have been tightened.
However, fire prevention and rescue work still reveals many shortcomings and limitations. The review, amendment, and development of legal documents, standards, and regulations on fire prevention and control are slow and have not kept pace with the speed of socio-economic development; the penalties for violations in the field of fire prevention and control are not strong enough, causing many investors to deliberately procrastinate and delay rectifying errors...
Furthermore, some localities and units have not truly prioritized or paid attention to fire prevention and control, completely delegating responsibility to the fire police force; the number of facilities and constructions subject to fire prevention and control management is increasing, putting great pressure on the functional forces; urban planning still has many shortcomings, and infrastructure and water sources for firefighting are not yet synchronized…
 |
| A fire safety education class for elementary school students in Nghe An province. (Photo: Archival image) |
Concluding the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung directed that, first and foremost, focus must be placed on perfecting the legal framework related to fire prevention and control, and rescue operations; ministries, sectors, and localities should urgently review regulations and standards to adjust, supplement, update, and improve them.
In particular, it is necessary to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the heads of units and localities; strengthen education and propaganda on fire prevention and rescue to the community; and enhance the responsibility of investors, project owners, businesses, associations, etc., regarding the quality of construction projects related to fire prevention and control.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the need to strengthen inspections, strictly handle violations, and resolutely shut down facilities that do not meet fire safety requirements; and to publicly disclose the list of facilities that do not meet fire safety standards so that citizens can participate in monitoring.
Notably, Comrade Trinh Dinh Dung requested the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry to research and coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to include fire safety criteria as a factor in evaluating the competitiveness of localities nationwide.