How to Prevent Fires in Malls

The very nature of malls makes them vulnerable to disaster. The large numbers of people who could be present at the time of a fire create the potential for high casualties. However, in order to effectively deal with fire risks, mall personnel must first understand how people react when there is a fire. It is not enough simply to develop a fire protection program. Prevention includes making certain that mall workers and tenants are prepared to follow the plans designed to save lives.

Things You'll Need

• Comprehensive risk assessment
• Automated sprinkler system
• Fire alarm system
• Written emergency management plan
• Agreements with other community organizations
• Disaster preparedness training
• Mock drills

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Instructions

• 1

  Conduct a risk assessment to minimize the danger of fire. According to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) experts, a risk assessment should identify possible hazards within and surrounding the mall, assess the likelihood of a fire occurring, and consider the severity of the impact should a fire occur. Knowing what starts fires is an essential factor in assessing the risk. Those performing the evaluation should carefully examine the mall's design, fire escape routes and evacuation procedures, content of the shops, types of fire safety systems installed, as well as consider what other kinds of public activities are normally scheduled at the mall.

• 2

  Implement precautionary measures to reduce the risk of fire. The owners of a mall should maintain the mall's fire safety systems by regularly monitoring the building's automated sprinkler system, and routinely testing fire alarms. Mall security should frequently inspect fire doors for damage from use, in addition to making sure that all exit signs are illuminated and that generators for emergency lighting are operational.

• 3

  Take the actions required to correct any situations that might cause a fire or delays in exiting the building. The enormous quantities of manufactured synthetic materials located inside malls make it essential for people to get out of the building as quickly as possible. Synthetics tend to burn hotter and faster than natural materials; therefore, people inside the building need to be evacuated right away (within two to five minutes) to reduce the risk of fire-related injuries.

• 4

  Include local fire departments and emergency medical personnel in developing and coordinating a written emergency management plan. Emergency responders need to address the immediate impact of a fire, particularly in evacuating shoppers and workers from the mall. Details of an emergency plan should focus on specific routes for evacuation, contacting emergency services, and designating locations where staff can assemble to receive further instructions.

• 5

  Enter into agreements with other community organizations and agencies to give aid in the event that fire breaks out at a local mall. Designated responsibilities should be assigned to groups and individuals for carrying out specific actions during an emergency response.

• 6

  Train security personnel on how to respond to a fire emergency. Although many states now mandate a minimum number of general training hours for private security officers hired by retail malls, training protocols for communicating with local fire, medical, and law enforcement workers in the event of a fire or other natural disaster often do not include rehearsing the emergency response.

• 7

  Schedule periodic joint drill exercises between mall personnel and first line responders from the community so that mall security, emergency personnel, and mall tenants all know exactly what to do in the event of a fire. Based on data collected from surveys distributed to the security directors of some of the nation's largest retail malls, findings of the research funded by the National Institute of Justice point to the need for more malls to coordinate mock drills as one way to practice and improve emergency preparedness responses.

• 8

  Allocate funds to finance ongoing training programs to improve mall security and communication methods. Unfortunately, a major problem with providing more comprehensive training programs is the high turnover rate of mall personnel who lack experience. Another concern is having some way other than the telephone to communicate with local emergency service officials and mall tenants. Use of two-way radio equipment is one practical option.