Three months after a Laventille fire claimed the lives of four people, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) expects to spend approximately $174 million to implement rigid building regulations and safety practices in its living spaces. In this regard, the hefty budget plan has been proposed for consideration by an appraisal committee of the Housing Ministry.
So said HDC managing-director Jearlean John in a telephone interview with the T&T Guardian on Tuesday. These new policies have come in the wake of an obvious disregard for building code regulations and safety practices in corporation buildings.
The recent fire at an HDC building in Paradise Heights in Morvant raised questions about the presence of safety equipment and fire escapes which are crucial to saving lives in an event of a fire or any other disaster. Preliminary reports stated rusting and disintegrating fire escapes would have prevented residents from escaping had the blaze not been placed under control.
There was also an absence of hoses which would have hampered fire officers from putting out the blaze. John said: "HDC has shortlisted a number of multi-storey estate buildings which will be fitted with adequate fire suppression and detection systems."
Fire detection units would consist of heat detectors which would be outfitted, via electrical conduits and battery powered smoke detectors, she added. Fire extinguishers, water hoses, fire escapes and dry risers would be either installed or upgraded in all HDC buildings for the purpose of fire suppression, John said.
With regard to sensitising the public of the latest developments to ensure safety at their buildings, Sangeeta Singh, manager of health, safety and environment at HDC, said the ministry already had embarked on a national campaign to make residents aware of proper health and safety protocols.
HDC officials also are working with the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service and based on the recommendations of the Chief Fire Officer, moves would be made to start a community awareness programme in Maloney, where there are 21 HDC buildings, it was stated.
Singh said a seminar was held recently in Oropune Gardens, where the residents took part in discussions about safety consciousness, basic house rules for fire fighting, demonstrations on how to use extinguishers and evacuation procedures.
She was positive HDC tenants would be more readily able to deal with emergencies in the future. It also was hinted that a monitoring and evaluation committee of the Estate Management Division would ensure the new protocols were observed through month-to-month site visits.
John said instructions have been given to unblock fire escapes and signs would be placed on more than 100 multi-storey HDC buildings across the country. The housing corporation director admitted work must be done on HDC buildings for the continued safety of its inhabitants but not before she condemned the people who set fire to the buildings in both Morvant and Laventille.
John gave the assurance that progress was being made to ensure proper preventative measures were put in place and that safety policies would be rigidly enforced to prevent future mishaps. Relative to recent fires that took place, Singh said, no HDC community or building would take precedence over the other in being outfitted with safety equipment.
"The corporation will not handpick areas. It is a matter of public safety and every scheme is critical to the project," she said. Though an exact date was not given, Singh indicated that once all contracts were finalised, work would start within the next couple of months.