Fire hazards are a global concern, as a fire can result in substantial amounts of property damage, injuries, and deaths. In addition, fire breakouts in residential complexes are increasing day by day in urban cities in India. In last year itself, Mumbai has seen more than 85 residential fire breakouts with over 50 dead and 100 injured in such incidents. With increasing urbanization and the related issues due to scarcity of land, high skyscrapers and towers are increasing the risk for safety.
With high rise building, it is also important to check whether the fire management techniques are in order, so they can be used when necessary. Not following safety fire guidelines can be fatal to both property and residents. Along with fire repelling equipments such as fire extinguishers on every floor proper, fire exits, training during a fire crisis is also very important.
A major and most important equipment to tackle fire crisis is the installation of fire tanks. As it is one in a life time event, firefighting systems and arrangements are generally overlooked. In many cases its noticed that the though builders do show availability of fire tanks in the premises, but most commonly they are used for multiple uses. Cardinal rule of the fire management system is that the fire tanks should be always full and pumps always in working condition. But same tank many a times is used for fire/domestic/ drinking water purpose. NBC 2016 has now clearly mandated that there should always be positive suction at the level of fire pump which for various reasons may not happen seamlessly when we have underground tanks.
The tanks can be of steel or concrete, built on the ground or underground, depending on the architecture of the residential living. Fire tanks can hold up to 50,000 liters to 20,00,000 liters of water or more, depending on the size of the property. Fire tanks are a one-time investment that should be catered to when the complexes are constructed. They can be also constructed in existing structures at minimum costs.
Fire water storage tanks are used for fire protection in commercial and industrial locations. Fire can occur at any time for multifarious reasons. It is important to safeguard human life and material assets from the destructive effects of fires. In the case of a fire, easily accessible water proves to be extremely useful. Custom water tanks can be installed in accordance with the size of the building and fire safety requirements.
At the time of crisis, the fire tanks can be used by firefighters to extinguish the fire. The fire tanks also help in feeding the home sprinklers. Sprinklers are another measure to fight fire crisis. The water sprinklers disperse sprinkles of water when the smoke is detected by the sensors. Fire tanks are also useful to provide water through the water extinguishing pipes present on the higher floors. The water is let out in force and is very useful to combat fire in high rise buildings.
For example, one of the basic rules to be adhered to is the storage of water in fire water tanks, which is not to be used for any other purpose other than in case of emergency in case of a fire breakout. The water supplied by the civic bodies should first fill the fire water tank and the overflow should fill the other tank systems.
To summarise, fire water storage tanks come in handy and have the following benefits, both on a small and large scale:
- Safety in unpredictable situations
- Prevention of injuries and fatalities
- Prevention of loss to property
- Personalized protection to residents
While the danger of a fire can never be totally eradicated, it is definitely possible to detect and manage a fire outbreak in any residential or commercial building. Proper safety measures have to be in place in the initial planning stage of the property.
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