Be alert, pay attention

Here are a few tips for high-rise dwellers taken from the Malaysian Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association’s website www.mvfra.org:

Ways to keep your condo safe

* Never keep rubbish in the hallway. Make sure it is stored properly and collected regularly.

* Don’t put items in the trash chute that are too big and may get stuck. Things caught in the chute can easily turn a fire in the basement into a fire on your floor.
* Be careful not to overload electrical circuits. Short circuits are the cause of many fires.

* Cook with care. Keep baking soda handy to smother stove fires.

* Never smoke in bed and make sure that there are no smouldering butts when you empty ashtrays.

* Test smoke detectors regularly and replace batteries when needed

* Make sure that your apartment door is tight-fitting and complies with the fire code.

* Inspect your exit stair doors. They must be self-closing, able to snap shut and unlock from both sides. If they don’t meet this standard, report it to your condo management or the fire department.

If the fire is in your apartment

* Get everyone out. Stay low as you go out. Close, but don’t lock, all doors in the apartment as you leave.

* Alert others on the floor by knocking on doors. Activate the fire alarm if there is one.

* Go down the nearest stairs, holding the railing. DO NOT USE THE LIFTS.

* Call the fire department from a floor below the fire or when you are safely out of your unit.

If the fire is NOT in your apartment

* Priority should be given to residents in the immediate and upper floors above the affected unit. Let them evacuate first before lower floor residents evacuate. The escape route may not be able to accommodate everyone evacuating at the same time.

Planning ahead can save your life

Things to know:

* The layout of your floor.

* The location of fire alarm boxes.

* Where your apartment/grille key is located.

Things to do:

* Keep flashlights ready and in a handy place.

* Install and maintain smoke detectors.

* Practise fire drills with your family.