In response to a significant increase in accidents, the Telangana fire department has opted to enlist 50 third-party agencies to perform fire safety audits throughout the state. These agencies, selected through a rigorous evaluation process, will assess both residential and commercial buildings based on various safety criteria, including the presence of firefighting equipment such as extinguishers, smoke and fire detectors, sprinklers, alarm systems, electrical control panels, water tankers, and life-saving systems like emergency exits, staircases, and elevators for safe evacuation during emergencies, including fire incidents.
Telangana has approximately 500,000 buildings that must comply with these fire safety regulations. The last assessment conducted by the fire department in 2023 covered only 3,000 high-rise buildings statewide. Within the limits of Hyderabad, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) audited around 5,000 buildings, despite the existence of nearly 150,000 structures in the city. ‘Although we have been performing third-party audits since 2023, we previously engaged only five agencies for this task, which proved insufficient.
Therefore, we have decided to involve additional agencies from the state,’ stated a senior fire official, who also mentioned that the agencies will consist of fire safety experts and retired personnel from the fire department. The audits will adhere to the national building code and will be conducted biennially. Officials indicated that a proposal for this initiative has been submitted to the state government for approval.
We have proposed an update to the existing guidelines to facilitate the inclusion of additional agencies in the project. The revised framework will implement a classification system that categorizes buildings as A, B, or C (high-rise, medium, or small). These guidelines are presently being developed,” stated Y Nagi Reddy, Director General of Fire Services. Experts emphasize that thorough audits are essential for identifying potential fire hazards, assessing the effectiveness of current safety measures, and evaluating equipment performance.
“Upon completion of the audit, a report is generated and submitted to the fire department, detailing findings, highlighting areas of concern, and providing recommendations for safeguarding the premises. These recommendations ensure that the facilities are sufficiently prepared to manage fire emergencies,” remarked C Andrew, an expert from Techno Fire Consultants, who frequently conducts fire audits. “While increasing manpower by involving more agencies is a positive step, it is ultimately the responsibility of the fire department to ensure that the recommendations are acted upon. Only then can we prevent such disasters,” he concluded.