Fire, Fire! Real Or Hoax?
- Ding Zu Huei
- Jul 18, 2017
- 3 min read
Kampar, July 18 - Students and staff at the Faculty of Social Science of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Kampar were seen rushing out from the building as the fire alarm sounded just before 12 noon on Tuesday.
There were many puzzled faces as most were unsure what to do and where to go to.
Expecting that it was a fire evacuation drill, some complained that no notice was given and no briefing or prior announcement was made about the evacuation routes and assembly point.
When asked if it was a fire evacuation drill, lecturer Ong Sheau Wen, 37, said, “I am unsure of what is happening right now, but I do not think it is an evacuation drill.”
Ong revealed that usually, the university’s Emergency and Response Team will brief all staff members prior to a fire evacuation drill, because they have to be involved in assisting the evacuation process as well.
“It is our duty to ensure that all our students are accounted for during a case of emergency,” Ong added.
20-year old psychology student Lee Ik Hui said, “Initially, I was annoyed that the alarm rang as it meant that I had to stop everything that I was doing and evacuate the building.”
“However, I am also aware of the importance of evacuating immediately upon hearing the fire alarm as we never know when it could be a life or death matter,” Lee added.
Goh Kah Hong, 21, did not rush out of the building once the fire alarm rang.
Instead, she took her time as she said, " I have read of many cases in the news where people died during a fire breakout not because of the fire, but because they panicked and started trampling over each other when evacuating the building.
Goh further elaborated that it is vital that occupants exit the building in an orderly manner to prevent any untoward incidences from happening as the corridors and stairways are narrow.
The incident was later found out to be a false alarm caused by an act of mischief carried out by one or more irresponsible individuals as the fire break glass was found to be tempered with.
Head of Department of Safety and Security Wong Kean Loong confirmed that it was not a fire evacuation drill.
Wong explained, “Checks conducted on the fire prevention equipment including the fire alarm system around the building revealed that there was no fire.”
Wong urged those carrying out these kinds of unethical acts to stop it as it would jeopardise the authority from performing their duties in case of a real fire emergency.
Thoo Li Zhi, 21, lamented, “I wonder who has got nothing better to do than to play with the fire alarm and disturb everyone. When are we going to take this seriously?”
Thoo, who is majoring in English language, believes that disciplinary action should be taken against the culprits if caught.
Meanwhile, Assistant Professor Dr Tan Huey Pyng who was forced to evacuate her students when the fire alarm rang, said that a false alarm will cause unnecessary waste of time and manpower which will eventually affect the productivity of the university.
Using the analogy of the boy who cried wolf, Tan added, “Furthermore, staff members and students may not react to a fire alarm in future as they may think it is just another hoax.”
Some were noticeably more optimistic about the incident as they saw it as an opportunity for students and staff to have a feel of what a real fire situation would be like.
Journalism student Chai Chew Yee, 23, said, “The one positive outcome for this incident is to see if people will react to a fire alarm without prior notice.”
Chai explained, “We may have countless sessions of fire evacuation drills but when real fire breaks out, how will we react?”
Kommentare