From the drastic mobilization of local authorities and people's awareness of fire prevention and fighting, the Thanh Da apartment complex area (Binh Quoi ward) has achieved a rate of over 90% of households opening escape routes at "tiger cage" iron frames.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has issued an official dispatch directing departments, branches and localities to strengthen inspection and rectification of the management and operation of apartment buildings, especially fire safety. Accordingly, the Chairman of the City People's Committee requested authorities at all levels to coordinate to strictly handle violations in apartment buildings that have not been overcome, especially the situation of construction, expansion or shelter obstructing escape routes in floors, corridors, and balconies.
Ho Chi Minh City directs resolute handling of works that do not ensure fire prevention and fighting and rescue (PCCC) safety. At the same time, mobilize residents and operating units to voluntarily dismantle items encroaching on escape routes. Ho Chi Minh City Police are assigned the task of presiding over inspection and handling violations, and at the same time propagating and training escape skills and guiding the maintenance of PCCC technical systems in apartment buildings.
Recorded at the old Thanh Da apartment complex, the situation of balcony fences with tiger cage iron frames is quite common. However, thanks to the drastic action of local authorities in fire prevention and fighting, people have renovated tiger cage iron frames, opened a second escape route, to solve the risk of fire safety.
According to a representative of Binh Quoi Ward People's Committee, the mandatory requirement is that these fire escapes must have doors or openings convenient for rescue work. Up to now, the implementation rate has reached over 90%. A few cases have not been completed mainly because the household owner is not present in the locality or objective population issues.
Local authorities emphasized that although the iron frame system still exists from the outside, having an escape route inside is a key factor to help people proactively escape and support functional forces to quickly access when incidents occur.
Witnessing the painful damage from recent fires, Thanh Da people have signed commitments and proactively implemented safety measures.
Mr. Do Quang Tiep (resident of block D, Thanh Da apartment building) shared: "The iron frame of the tiger cage originally used to prevent theft is now a barrier blocking the family's way of life if there is an incident. I have proactively signed a commitment to dismantle the iron cage and open a second escape route through the balcony. I also carefully guide my relatives on fire prevention and fighting knowledge and how to use fire extinguishers placed right at the entrance".
Sharing the same view, Ms. Phan Thi Le Thuy (a long-time resident in Thanh Da) said: "We are no longer as subjective as before. Currently, my family has moved flammable items away from the kitchen, checked the electricity and installed automatic switches (aptomats). We commit not to store gasoline, gas and always keep demolition tools available in an easily visible place. When there is an incident, the most important thing is to calmly shout and call 114 immediately.
To synchronize management work, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Environment is assigned to coordinate in guiding the issuance of Certificates of ownership of assets attached to land for apartment building owners. The Department of Construction has the task of strengthening coordination and guiding localities on the management and use of apartment buildings according to their authority.
