Tighten management, improve fire prevention and fighting capabilities for mini apartments and high-rise boarding houses
(Baonghean.vn) - Equipped with air conditioning, water heaters, private bathrooms... small apartments (also known as mini apartments) and high-rise boarding houses are the type of apartment that many people choose. However, this type of business is fraught with high risks of fire and explosion...
Many shortcomings
Nghe An Electronic Newspaper published an article on September 14"There are many potential risks of fire and explosion in mini apartments and high-rise boarding houses in Vinh city", reflecting the current situation in Vinh city, there are manyMini apartments and high-rise boarding houses. The common point of mini apartments and high-rise boarding houses for rent is that most of them are small in area, built in tube-style, with houses on both sides, located in residential areas, with small and narrow walkways.Although this type of housing is 5-10 stories high, in terms of fire prevention and firefighting equipment, it is mainly equipped with fire extinguishers, command boards and some rudimentary tools, but there is no automatic fire extinguishing system fixed on the ceiling of the hallway or in the living room like other high-rise apartments. Not to mention, to prevent theft, these houses are welded with tight iron frames on the balconies or windows, making escape in case of fire difficult.
Digging deeper into this issue, we also found many shortcomings in the legal document system as well as the management of these two types of housing.
According to regulations, households and individuals are allowed to register for housing rental business without having to establish an enterprise or cooperative... Therefore, many households, when constructing family houses, have completed procedures to apply for a Construction Permit, detailed floor plan drawings, and then, upon completion, apply for a Business License for the type of rental accommodation.
Regarding mini apartments, the Housing Law also stipulates that apartments in mini apartment buildings must be built according to the Construction Permit issued by the competent authority, ensuring construction standards and regulations, ensuring fire prevention and fighting and construction planning... According to Appendix V, Decree 136/2020/ND-CP detailing a number of articles and measures to implement the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting and the Law on amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting, apartment buildings, collective houses, and dormitories with 7 floors or more or a total volume of 5,000m3or more; mixed-use buildings of 7 floors or more or with a total volume of 5,000m3or more are required to have a Fire Prevention and Fighting License.
However, to circumvent the law, some households only apply for a building permit for a family home, or apply for a permit for a house less than 7 stories high and with a volume of less than 5,000m3.3, then, arrange the closed rooms and rent them out. Because the fire prevention regulations for these projects are simpler, such as only needing to have regulations, signs, prohibition signs, diagrams/indicators on fire prevention, fire fighting, and standard escape routes; Having an approved fire fighting plan; Electrical systems, lightning protection, static electricity, electrical equipment, fire-generating and heat-generating equipment, the use of fire and heat sources must ensure fire prevention and fire fighting safety according to standards...
Not to mention in reality, there are 3-5 storey boarding houses that have been renovated after a long period of deterioration, making the fire prevention and fighting system not up to standard. Although there are many rooms and many tenants, due to the limited area, in order to make the most of the area, the landlord often does not arrange playgrounds, landings, balconies, skylights, etc.
Mr. Nguyen Viet Duc - Head of the Vinh City Urban Management Department said: In reality, many households are using residential land to build business houses, which means they have changed the purpose of land use. However, there are currently no specific regulations on Construction Permits, Fire Prevention and Fighting Permits for mini-apartments and high-rise rental houses. Therefore, most people are doing the procedures to apply for a license in the form of housing, then continue with business procedures and meet some requirements on fire prevention and fighting, security and order to be able to operate.
Tighten management and raise fire prevention awareness
There are many opinions that, because mini apartments and high-rise boarding houses often concentrate on students and tenants - this is a group of people who do not have stable jobs and are not equipped with many skills, so, in parallel with raising awareness and consciousness of fire prevention and fighting, the most important thing is to tighten management of construction, renovation and operation permits for this type of housing. Only allow operation when these types of housing meet the requirements of fire prevention and fighting.
Mr. Nguyen Tat Thao - Vice Chairman of Trung Do Ward People's Committee (Vinh City) said: In the ward, there are 326 houses combined with business, of which, there are 36 high-rise buildings for rent. Although by July 2023, Trung Do Ward People's Committee signed a commitment to allow 100% of households to have houses combined with business, at the same time, built 14 public fire fighting points, each point has 2 fire extinguishers, 1 hammer, 1 knife, 1 pliers. However, the problem is that boarding houses are often built interspersed in residential areas, many areas have narrow walkways that will greatly affect fire fighting when necessary. Meanwhile, the golden time to fight a fire is the first 5 minutes. Not to mention, currently, fire hydrants have only been installed on major roads, in branch roads, where boarding houses are concentrated, but have not been brought to...
In the period of 2020 - 2022, the People's Committee of Nghe An province advised the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Council to issue 3 Resolutions and 3 Plans; issued 39 documents directing and urging departments, branches, sectors, People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to implement the assigned tasks in Resolution No. 99 on continuing to improve and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of implementing policies and laws on fire prevention and fighting.
Also during this period, the whole province had 19,000 households and houses combining production and business to create a second escape route according to regulations; built 809 models of Fire Prevention and Fighting Safety Inter-Family Groups; 386 models of Fire Prevention and Fighting Safe Residential Areas; 16 models of Fire Prevention and Fighting Safe Schools; 6 models of Fire Prevention and Fighting Safe Forests; 5 models of Fire Prevention and Fighting Safe Markets and 1,987 public firefighting points...
Or in Truong Thi ward (Vinh city), there are currently a total of 4,789 households, of which 382 households have houses combined with business with 5 mini apartments of 5 floors or more, not to mention boarding houses of 1 to 2 floors or more.
To improve the effectiveness of fire prevention and fighting, up to now, this locality has also built 32 inter-family groups and 29 public fire prevention and fighting points. However, the narrow terrain and high population density in rental housing areas are still a major concern for local authorities in fire prevention and fighting. Because once a fire breaks out in these locations, it is not only difficult to put out but also has a high risk of spreading to surrounding houses.
In addition to building public fire prevention and fighting points, the model "My house has a fire extinguisher" is a new model that needs to be replicated. In fact, some localities such as Vinh City, Nghi Loc, Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Hoang Mai Town, Cua Lo Town... have effectively implemented it. Through the model, the awareness and responsibility of officials and people in fire prevention and fighting have been raised. In particular, when people equip themselves with fire prevention and fighting equipment at home, the effectiveness of the "4 on-site" motto will be promoted, proactively preventing and minimizing fire and explosion incidents.
Most recently, immediately after the mini apartment fire in Hanoi, on September 13, 2023, the Prime Minister issued Official Dispatch No. 796/CD-TTg, in addition to requesting the Hanoi People's Committee to investigate, clarify and strictly handle the case, it also assigned the Ministry of Public Security and the People's Committees of centrally-run provinces and cities to continue to seriously and drastically implement the directions of the National Assembly, the Government and the Prime Minister on fire prevention and fighting. Regularly inspect and review facilities at high risk of fire in the area, especially mini apartments and rental service businesses with high population density, promptly detect and strictly handle violations according to the provisions of law.
On the side of Nghe An Provincial Police, on September 13, they also issued Official Dispatch No. 3031/CAT-PV01 on strengthening fire prevention and fighting work in apartment buildings and boarding houses in the province. In particular, the Police of districts, cities and towns are required to organize a review, basic investigation, re-inspection, and comprehensive inspection of fire prevention, fighting and rescue work at 100% of apartment buildings, mini-apartments, and boarding houses (from 3 floors or more) in the province. In particular, priority is given to pre-inspecting facilities that exist and violate fire prevention and fighting safety conditions...
From the tragic and deadly fires that have occurred in recent times, it can be seen that the lesson of tightening State management on construction and operating licenses for mini-apartments and high-rise boarding houses is never redundant. In addition, people living in apartments or high-rise boarding houses must also equip themselves with necessary escape skills. In addition to fire extinguishers, they can equip themselves with gas masks, rope ladders, and iron ladders from their balcony, so that in case of an emergency related to fire or explosion, they can escape safely...