“My house has a fire extinguisher”: Spreading fire prevention awareness in every family

Facing with the heavy damage caused by fires in a number of provinces and cities across the country recently, once again, the motto “4 on the spot” is promoted, in which the movement “My house has a fire extinguisher” was implemented by the Steering Committee for Fire Protection and Rescue at all levels and have attracted the participation and response of people from all walks of life in the area.

Practicing firefighting and rescue plan at Na Duong TKV Thermal Power Company, Na Duong town, Loc Binh district Photo: Hoang Huan

The motto “4 on the spot” includes: on-site command, on-site forces, on-site vehicles, on-site supplies and logistics. Therefore, each family equipping itself with a fire extinguisher and having the skills to deal with it when a new fire arises is an important step that contributes to preventing and extinguishing fires. Implementing Directive No. 01/CT-TTg dated January 3, 2023 of the Prime Minister on strengthening fire prevention and fighting in the new situation, on January 14, 2023, the Provincial People’s Committee issued Plan No. 16/KH –UBND, setting out specific tasks: strive to have at least one person trained in firefighting and rescue skills by the end of 2023; Encourage each family to equip at least 1 fire extinguisher.

Implementing Directive No. 01/CT-Ttg dated January 3, 2023 of the Prime Minister on strengthening fire prevention and fighting in the new situation, the whole province strives to have 100% of households equipped with at least 1 fire extinguisher by December 31, 2023.

Extensive propaganda

Colonel Nguyen Huu Thang, Head of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Division, Provincial Public Security said: Implementing Directive No. 01 of the Prime Minister and Plan No. 16 of the Provincial People’s Committee, the division has advised the Provincial Police to issue many documents for implementation and drastic direction with the viewpoint: Taking people as the center and subject, putting people’s safety and lives first and foremost; taking prevention as the main priority and maximize on-site forces participating in firefighting. In particular, by the end of September 30, 2023, 50% of households in the province are required to equip themselves with at least 1 portable fire extinguisher and strive to have 100% of families have fire extinguishers by the end of 2023. To achieve the planned targets, police units throughout the province have proactively advised party committees and authorities at the same level to strengthen propaganda, advocacy, and promote the movement “My house has a fire extinguisher” to spread widely. Propaganda is carried out in many forms such as: directing propaganda at households, through mass media, social networks; mobile propaganda; popular at party cell activities, village and city block meetings, union activities… The content focuses on propagating the unsafe situation of fire prevention and fighting in residential areas and families; the loss of life and property in a number of recent fires and explosions in localities…

In particular, party committees and authorities at all levels have issued plans and official dispatches requiring 100% of officials, civil servants, and party members to purchase fire extinguishers and necessary equipment for fire fighting and rescue. Mr. Nguyen Duy Anh, Chairman of the District People’s Committee, Head of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Steering Committee of Cao Loc District said: In order to concretize the instructions of superiors, the District People’s Committee has issued an implementation document, which focused on propagandizing household owners to equip necessary fire prevention equipment. As a result, by the end of September 2023, the entire district had 64% of families buying fire extinguishers…

Together with Cao Loc, propaganda and advocacy work for purchasing fire extinguishers has been carried out by districts and city in the area. From the beginning of 2023 until now, the whole province has propagated propaganda on loudspeakers in communes, wards and towns more than 11,500 times; Hanging more than 4,880 banners, panels, posters, distributing nearly 95,000 propaganda leaflets about fire prevention and fighting and encouraging people from all walks of life to buy fire extinguishers. At the same time, mass media agencies have created and posted nearly 200 news, articles, reports, and clips on fire prevention and fighting and the need to equip fire extinguishers in the home; government committees at all levels, agencies and units in the province have conducted mobile propaganda and propaganda on public screens more than 311,000 times; posted nearly 300 news and articles on digital portals and social networks like Zalo, Facebook…

Mr. Mai Xuan Chuong, Party Cell Secretary, Head of Dai Thang Block, Chi Lang Ward, Lang Son City said: The block has 8 residential groups, with 527 households and more than 110 party members. Recognizing the importance of fire prevention and rescue work, the Party cell has disseminated guiding documents of the central, provincial, city and ward Party Committees to party members at party cell meetings, updated on the Zalo group so that each party member can monitor, seriously implement and mobilize relatives and neighbors to do the same, and proactively equip themselves with fire extinguishers as well as the skills to use them. By the end of September 2023, over 90% of party members and more than 50% of households have purchased fire extinguishers.

People of block 1, Hoang Van Thu ward, Lang Son city practice how to use fire extinguishers 

Actively support people in equipping fire-fighting equipment

In addition to propagating and mobilizing people from all walks of life to proactively equip fire extinguishers, all levels, sectors, and police units throughout the province also coordinate to support the purchase and give fire extinguishers to people, especially to poor households, near-poor households, and policy families.

Lieutenant Ly Hung Manh, Captain of the Social Order Administrative Management Police Team, Chi Lang District Police said: In order for every family to be equipped with a fire extinguisher, in addition to campaigning, the District Police also coordinates with businesses inside and outside the province to support funds to purchase or donate fire extinguishers to families, focusing on poor households, near-poor households, policy families. For example, in September 2023, the unit coordinated with a number of businesses to donate more than 100 fire extinguishers to poor households and policy families in some communes in the district. Thanks to that, by September 20, Chi Lang district had reached the target of 50% of families having fire extinguishers and by September 30, the entire district had 12,837/18,329 households having fire extinguishers, reaching a rate of 70%; Of which 100% of families of officials, civil servants and public employees have bought fire extinguishers.

Not only in Chi Lang but also districts and cities in the area have specific solutions to mobilize and support families in the area to equip fire extinguishers to promptly handle fire incidents in families and residential areas, minimizing damage to people and property. Statistics from districts and city show that in the first 9 months of 2023, over 800 poor, near-poor and policy families in the area have been supported with fire extinguishers. During the support process, the authorities combined instructions on how to use fire extinguishers for people to understand so they can do it when a situation occurs.

With active participation, along with appropriate and effective solutions in each area, the consensus and sense of responsibility of the people, and the support of all levels, sectors, and businesses, until the end of the September 30, the whole province has 101,689/192,666 households with fire extinguishers, reaching 52.78% (exceeding the planned target).

Mr. Ly Van Them, Ban Chu A village, Khuat Xa commune, Loc Binh district said: My family sells household appliances. Realizing the importance of fire prevention, I equipped myself with 2 portable fire extinguishers and was instructed by the commune police on how to use them as well as how to handle fires and explosions. Not only my family, but other households in the village are also interested in buying fire extinguishers for their families.

Along with equipping fire extinguishers, party committees, authorities at all levels and functional forces also actively organize training on knowledge and skills in using fire extinguishers for people. From June 1 until now, the whole province has representatives of 183,096 households who have been trained in knowledge of fire prevention and fire extinguisher use, reaching 95%; At the same time, there are 257 “Fire Prevention and Safety Joint Family Groups” in the province that have been organized by the fire prevention and rescue steering committee at all levels to practice firefighting and rescue plans, including practicing how to use extinguishers.

Thanks to extensive propaganda, people from all walks of life have become more aware of being proactive in fire prevention and fighting, each household has been equipping itself with fire extinguishers and other fire-fighting means and equipment. From there, it contribute to well implementing the motto: “Every safe house – Every safe factory, business, every safe neighborhood – Every safe commune, ward, town” on fire prevention and fighting.