Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life and destruction of property and environment. Firefighting needs highly technical skills. It requires professionals who have spent years in training in both general firefighting techniques and specialized areas of expertise. Pakistan is lucky to have Fakhri Brothers, Karachi coming in the business of marketing of fire handling and fire fighting hardware. Speaking to Engineering Review, Fakhri Brothers Chief Diwan A Fakhri told many things about fires and how to tackle them.

There are four elements needed to start and sustain a fire and flame. These elements classified in the ‘fire tetrahedron’ are: 1. Reducing agent (fuel), 2. Heat, 3. Oxidizing agent (oxygen), 4. Chemical reaction. Prime purpose of a fire detection system is to provide an early warning of fire to a building’s occupants so that they may escape safely. Fire detectors are designed to detect one or more of the three characteristics of a fire. Smoke, Heat, Flame. No one type of detector is the most suitable for all applications, final choice depends on individual circumstances. Heat detectors operate by physical properties of: Expansion of metals. Melting of solids. Expansion of liquid or gases.

Changes in electrical characteristics of materials. Smoke detectors are of two general types. Ionization detectors. Optical beam type detectors Flame detectors are of two general types: Infra-red detectors. Ultra-violet detectors. Just how important are fire extinguishers to the general public? They are very important! , added Diwan Fakhri, but are often ignored, even by the fire community.

These overlooked life saving devices play a vital role in keeping us safe. It is time fire extinguishers get the respect they deserve. With all the benefits that fire extinguishers provide us, it is surprising that we don’t appreciate them much. In fact, the only time we think about them is during an emergency. The only time we hear about them is when they are unavailable, or when they are unable to do their job. To ensure that these silent heroes are ready when needed, it is crucial to keep monitoring them 24/7, just like all of the other, less utilized parts of our fire protection systems. Fire incidents in major cities of Pakistan, particularly in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad are increasing day by day.

This proves intense situation about lack of awareness and implementation of safety standards. Ignoring safety standards has become our national character. It is particularly a crime when government departments disregard safety necessities while planning and executing multi story buildings. He noted that most of the fire incidents are blamed to ‘short circuiting’ to shift responsibility but there are some theories that suggest that these fires are ignited for different purposes by many arsonists resulting in loss of innocent and precious lives.

Therefore we should tell municipal establishments to make it mandatory for all tall buildings to have their own firefighting equipment, and train everyone on how to leave a building during a fire. They should also ensure that fire exits are provided before approving the building plan to avoid loss of innocent lives, when a fire occurs. According to a report it is not just textile mills or other industries across Pakistan where fires cause main damage. Poorly constructed buildings too collapse on workers or residents.

In general, the problem is the same that plagues all matters of governance in Pakistan – failure to enforce the law. Be it an industrial disaster, a road accident or an air crash – common denominator is lack of adequate safety checks, said Mr. Fakhri. Textile factories are particularly at risk due to the lethal combination of chemical dyes and stacks of cotton often stored next to each other, ensuring deadly results. Fire exits, as in the case of the factory in Karachi, exist only on paper. That along with congested construction of industrial zones blocks escape and multiplies death toll. Our cities have limited number of fire engines to serve the growing needs of sprawling cities.

Lahore fares a little better in terms of equipment, but is no better in terms of enforcement of standards or disaster management. Observers see a common pattern. Industrial standards are disregarded to minimize cost as inspectors are paid to look the other way. Small and potentially easily rectifiable problems are made worse by years of neglect. Mistakes are covered up only to be repeated a few months later. That is why many disasters such as the September 11, 2011 Karachi fire are on the rise in Pakistan.