Fire safety must be taken seriously

I REFER to the report “109 die in factory blaze” outside Dhaka, Bangladesh (The National, Nov 26).
It prompted me to think about
fire safety in our towns and cities,
as I know we have not been serious in enforcing fire safety laws.
What would happen if a similar incident were to happen in PNG?
A lot of work must be done to educa­te our people, students, fac­tory workers, shop workers, in­vestors, etc.
I usually go shopping with my wife and children on Fridays at big shopping marts in Boroko, Central Waigani or Gerehu along with
many other families.
I am sure that nightclubs, hotels, factories, and government and pri­-vate business offices housed in low buildings and high rise buildings face a high risk of fires.
I notice that there are no fire exits in many of our shops.
They may be available but are
not clearly highighted to indicate where they are.
If there was a fire, how can I take my children out quickly and safely?
I can only imagine what will happen when people rush out to safety through the main entrance which is also the main exit point.
We have had airline safety incidents and have also experienced many natural disasters where people are not ignorant of the risks.
Recently, we also experienced the worst maritime disaster when the Rabaul Queen sank with about 400 people on board, including children.
Are our town and city authorities as well as government bodies en­trusted to deal with fire safety waiting for a disaster to happen?
Are they only going to act only after experiencing a fire in a major shopping centre or factory like what happened in Bangladesh?
I suggest the government esta­blish a fire safety audit committee
to address fire safety issues in our towns and cities for the good of everyone in PNG.

City Resident
Port Moresby