CC BY
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Section 8. International law
https://doi.org/10.29013/EJLPS-20-1-47-53
Colonel, Dr. Le Quang Hai, Vice Rector University of Fire E-mail: [email protected]
SOLUTIONS TO ENSURE SAFETY ON FIRE PREVENTION AND FIGHTING MEETING THE PROMOTION FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN AREAS IN VIETNAM
Abstract. Sustainable development of cities is the goal of each country. In order to contribute to promoting sustainable development, ensuring fire prevention and fighting is a big issue nowadays, it is necessary to pay attention to investment, research and comprehensive construction of systematic and comprehensive solutions in terms of organization and engineering. The paper focuses on clarifying theoretical issues on ensuring safety in urban fire prevention and fighting; analyze and assess the current situation of fire prevention and fighting in urban areas in Vietnam today; Since then, propose technical and organizational solutions to ensure safety in fire prevention and fighting, contributing to the sustainable development of urban areas in Vietnam.
Keywords: urban; fire prevention and fighting; Vietnam.
1. Problem statement have been built day by day, contributing to the more
Along with the common development of coun- and more crowded cities, especially in big cities like tries in the region and the world, especially the strong Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong,... impacts from the 4th industrial revolution in recent In parallel with that development, the potential for years, Vietnam has gradually changed markedly. The fire and explosion is getting higher and higher and political security has been stable, the economy has more complicated, the rate of big fires causing se-many positive changes, inflation is controlled at a low rious damage increases. According to the Govern-level,... has attracted domestic and foreign investors ment Report, from July 2014 to July 2018, the whole to build and develop. The appearance of urban areas country occurred 13,149 fires, killing 346 people, in Vietnam is becoming more and more innovative, injuring 823 people, property damage estimated at the speed of urbanization is rapid, the urbanization 6,524.8 billion VND and 6,462 hectares of forest [1]. rate in 2018 is estimated at 38.4% with 811 types of Therefore, proposing solutions to ensure fire safety urban centers [1], new urban areas, and amusement in urban areas to promote sustainable development parks, entertainment centers, theaters, cinemas, mar- is always a big problem for not only Vietnam but also kets, trade centers, public works, high-rise and super- a difficult problem for countries in the region and high-rise buildings, underground constructions, etc. around the world.
2. Theoretical issues to ensure safety in urban fire prevention and fighting
Urban areas are densely populated areas and mainly operate in non-agricultural economic areas, and are political, administrative, economic, cultural or specialized centers, with roles to promote socioeconomic development of a nation or a territory or a locality, including the inner city and suburbs of the city; inner towns and suburbs of the town; town [3]. The concept above shows the overarching all aspects of the population density, economy, politics, culture, society, ... of a city, besides, the concept of urban also emphasizes "Urban areas play a role in promoting socio-economic development of a nation or a territory or a locality". Thus, it shows the position and importance of ensuring requirements and conditions for sustainable development of the city, in which ensuring fire prevention and fighting safety is one of the requirements and important conditions which should be concerned, focused.
Safety of fire prevention and fighting is a combination of all organizational measures, technical and technological solutions to eliminate and limit the possibility of arising fire; create favorable conditions for proactively rescuing people, properties, fight spread and fight fires promptly and effectively when a fire occurs. In essence, ensuring fire safety is the application of organizational and technical and technological measures to prevent, limit and eliminate the possibility of a fire. such as rescuing people, saving properties and effectively putting out fires, contributing to minimize the damage caused by fire and explosion. With this approach, it can be understood that "ensuring the safety in urban fire prevention and fighting is a combination of all organizational measures, technical solutions in urban construction management and planning in order to eliminating and limiting the possibility of arising fires; create favorable conditions for proactively rescuing people, properties, fight spread and fight fires promptly and effectively when a fire occurs". Thus, ensuring the safety of fire prevention and fighting in the urban area is the proposal of measures
to organize and manage activities on fire prevention and fighting in urban areas; solutions on infrastructure, traffic, water sources for fire fighting, distances to ensure fire prevention and fighting between works, distances between works and roads to ensure safety for fire engines, aerial ladders to operate; ... In other words, ensuring the safety of fire prevention and fighting in the urban area is effectively implementing measures on organization and management; technical and technological solutions in the field of fire prevention and fighting.
The measures to organize and manage the fire prevention and fighting in that urban area are the planning of the network of fire and rescue force; effective implementation of such aspects as: advising work, proposing the development of leadership documents, directives of competent state agencies in the field of fire prevention and fighting; propaganda, training, professional fostering, inspection and examination; approval of designs, pre-acceptance test of fire prevention and fighting; international cooperation, technology transfer in the field of fire prevention and fighting ... The technical and technological solutions are those in the planning of distance, traffic, water sources, electric systems, communications, which ensure good service for fire prevention and fighting; solutions to prevent fire spread to houses and works, production technology lines; ... To effectively implement the above contents, it is necessary to determine the completion of the legal system, standards and technical regulations on fire prevention and fighting efficiently, appropriately and synchronized legal basis is one of the key and decisive conditions, especially it is even more meaningful in the context of the industrial revolution 4th.
3. Current situation of fire prevention and fighting in urban areas in Vietnam today
The country now has 63 provincial-level administrative units, 713 district-level administrative units (72 provincial cities, 49 districts, 47 towns, 545 districts) and 11,161 communal-level administrative units (1,602 wards, 608 town, 8,951 communes); 02 special-
grade cities, 19 grade-I urban centers, 24 grade-II urban centers, 45 grade-III urban centers, 97 grade-IV urban centers, and 624 grade-V urban centers; the country's population as of now about 97 million people. According to the Government Report between 2014-2018, there have occured 3,287 fires, killing 87 people, injuring 206 people, and damage of property worth VND1,631.2 billion and 1,615 hectares of forest. On average, there are 09 cases of fire, killing or injuring 01 person everyday, the property damage is estimated at 4.4 billion dong and 5.3 hectares of forest [1]. The data of damage caused by fire and explosion shows that the number of deaths and injuries in urban areas is still high, and great damage to property.
Being aware of the meaning and importance of ensuring fire prevention and fighting safety for socioeconomic sustainable development in urban centers, the Party, the State and the Government are very concerned, often pay leadership and direction to this work. In the period of 2014-2018, the Government has issued 09 Decrees and 02 Resolutions related to the work of fire prevention, fighting and rescue; The Prime Minister has issued 05 Decisions, 03 Directives, 11 Official Telegraph and guiding documents; Ministries and branches within their management have developed and issued 24 Circulars to guide the implementation of the legislation on fire prevention and fighting, issued many directives and hundreds of messages, guiding documents, directing this work; The provincial Party Committee, City Party Committee and People's Committees of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government have issued 845 guiding documents on fire prevention and fighting; provincial departments and agencies have issued 6,547 documents (of which, provincial police issued 5,950 documents, official dispatches to guide and direct local authorities at all levels to carry out fire prevention, firefighting and rescue) [1]. The issued documents have contributed to guiding and directing the implementation of the provisions of the law on fire prevention and fighting, promptly solving difficulties, problems and emerging problems in prevention local
fire and fighting, contributing to improving the effectiveness of fire and explosion prevention.
In terms of management, the organization of the implementation of the provisions of the legislation on fire prevention and fighting has also gained encouraging results. Propagation, dissemination and education oflaws and knowledge on fire prevention and fighting have been strengthened, with innovations in content, form and measures of organization and implementation. In the period of2014-2018, 62,320 articles were organized and published; broadcast 3,173 reports and documentaries on fire prevention and fighting; issued 308,997 banners, slogans and 4,025,005 flyers, recommended; print copies and release 7,296 tapes and CDs to propagate about ensuring fire prevention and fighting; propaganda, training on fire prevention, fighting and rescue were 149,732 sessions for 7,419,778 turns of participants [1]. The approval, approval and acceptance of fire prevention and fighting and the promulgation and implementation of technical standards and regulations on fire prevention and fighting have generally been strictly implemented. In the 2014-2018 period, the ministries, branches and localities have approved hundreds of socio-economic development projects and urban planning in their localities; the approval process of schemes and projects has paid attention to contents related to fire prevention and fighting. The Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Force has reviewed and approved the design of fire prevention and fighting for 58,504 projects and constructions; organize fire prevention and fighting acceptance for 29,230 projects and constructions [1]. Through the approval, the investor and the consulting agency have been requested to adjust the design solution to ensure safety conditions for fire prevention and fighting, promptly repairing hundreds of thousands of violations and shortcomings right away from designing, construction, contributing significantly to saving money and time during project implementation. The system of national technical regulations and standards for fire prevention and fighting appraisal and acceptance is basically quite complete, contributing
to creating a basis for investors and consultancy units, the governing body in making design solutions for fire prevention and fighting. The inspection, examination and handling ofviolations of the law on fire prevention and fighting are strictly carried out, thereby contributing to eliminating thousands ofpotential fire hazards. Good prevention results in an effective protection of two to three times the amount of assets saved from fires; that is not to mention the effectiveness in preventing fires at the facility; ... Logistics and vehicle management have enlisted the attention of investment and support of all levels, sectors and organizations and individuals at home and abroad. Maintain and strictly implement the provisions of the law on organizing the implementation of bidding, procurement, asset management and settlement of projects and funding sources. Thereby, the fire prevention and fighting work has been strengthened, contributing to ensuring social order and safety, preserving the peaceful and happy life of the people, effectively serving the cause of economic development - society of the country.
In addition to the above-mentioned results, there are some limitations and shortcomings as follows: Regarding the system of legal documents, standards and regulations on fire prevention and fighting: There are no specific regulations on the conditions for ensuring the safety of fire prevention and fighting for housing types that people change their purpose to combine with living and production, trading and lack of regulations on ensuring security safety on fire prevention and fighting for traditional trade villages. Some new types of facilities have appeared recently but there are no standards, technical regulations on fire prevention and fighting such as mini apartments, multi-storey buildings, super-high-rise buildings, oil refineries, ...; Regarding the leadership, direction and organization of the implementation of the provisions of the law on fire prevention and fighting: This work in some units and localities is not really drastic, thorough and still shaped. awake; has not focused on checking, supervising, reviewing and summarizing experiences from implementing a number ofprovisions
of the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on fire prevention and fighting [4], Decree No. 79/2014 / ND -CP [2] has not been implemented by units and localities because the local funding is still difficult; violations of regulations on safety conditions on fire prevention and fighting are quite common, but detection and handling are still limited and insecure. The responsibilities of heads of agencies, organizations and establishments in ensuring safety conditions for fire prevention and fighting are not high; the guidance and handling of loopholes and shortcomings in fire prevention and fighting for establishments failing to ensure fire safety conditions meet with difficulties due to the responsibilities of many levels, many branches; Regarding the assurance of conditions in service of fire fighting: infrastructure on fire prevention and fighting is still inadequate. Water supply for fire fighting is seriously lacking in many urban areas. The network of fire prevention and fighting police teams in charge of the locality is still small, so it has significantly reduced the effectiveness of fire fighting. The division of responsibilities among agencies and units involved in the management of public fire-fighting water supply systems is unclear, specific and overlapping, so many places are degraded and not repaired or remedied timely.In many large urban areas, many residential areas are located in alleys, deep alleys, the construction density is thick, so it is not guaranteed traffic, water sources for fire fighting; .
These limitations and shortcomings have many causes, including subjective causes: awareness of the responsibility for fire prevention and fighting work of a number of Party Committees, and the right to regulate in urban areas and the heads agencies, organizations and establishments are still limited. The propaganda, dissemination and education of laws are not effective, the quality and forms of propaganda are not abundant and diverse awareness of a part of people also overlooked fire safety measures in their daily life as well as in production and business; the promotion of the power of both the political system and the whole society in fire prevention and fighting has not met the
requirements and tasks; coordination mechanism between levels and branches is not really tight; activities ofthe Steering Committees offire prevention and fighting at all levels are not high efficiency; a number of legal provisions on fire prevention and fighting are slowly implemented; the review and supplement of standards and technical regulations on fire prevention and fighting are still slow; attention has not been paid to building mechanisms and policies to encourage socialization in the investment in equipment and means of fire prevention and fighting. Objective causes: infrastructure conditions in urban areas are still inadequate and lack of uniformity, especially the planning of traffic systems, water sources, communication and information in service of fire fighting. Climate change continues to increase the risk of fire and explosion, especially forest fires; some regulations of the law on fire prevention and fighting are not appropriate to the practical situation or not uniformly agreed with the legal documents in the relevant fields.
4. Forecast and solutions to ensure safety in fire prevention and fighting in urban areas in Vietnam
In the coming years, the socio-economic situation continues to grow, the pace of industrialization, modernization, rapid urbanization, the number ofprojects, construction works, means of transport, demand energy, gas and chemical use will continue to soar; The increase in population and population density in urban centers, especially in big cities, will continue to be factors that directly affect the situation ofsafety assurance in fire prevention and fighting in the municipality. Unsafe situation in using electricity at households, production and business establishments, especially petrol, gas and chemical businesses, etc. will cause a high fire if there are not available drastic solutions. The situation offire and explosion is expected to continue to be complicated in the old and long-standing residential areas, especially the type ofhouses which are both used for living and combined with small businesses and services. Markets, trade centers, condominiums, high-rise buildings, industrial parks, petrol and oil facilities,
petroleum, industrial explosives, airports, crowded facilities, forests, constructions key points of culture, tourism, ... are still objects that need to be focused on to prevent and prevent big fires. In addition, climate change, especially in droughts and dry spells, will continue to be the factors leading to fire risks, especially for forests. This shows that there is a need for more drastic participation of all levels, sectors and local authorities in ensuring fire safety in urban areas.
In this situation, in order to ensure the safety of fire prevention and fighting, contributing to promoting the sustainable development of urban centers in Vietnam in the coming time, it is necessary to strictly and effectively carry out the following contents:
Organizational and managerial measures:
- Enhance the role and responsibility of the Party committees and authorities in urban areas, the Fatherland Front, ministries, departments and branches in leading and directing the implementation ofensuring the safety offire prevention and fighting. In particular, continue to effectively implement the Directive No. 47-CT / WT dated June 25, 2015 of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat on fire prevention and fighting, mobilizing the power of the whole political system and the entire people on the task of fire prevention and fighting, rescue and salvage. Periodically reviewing, evaluating and reviewing the implemented results, thereby drawing lessons to improve them more and more. When directing ministries, branches and urban centers to formulate socio-economic development planning schemes, attention must be paid to the technical planning on fire prevention and fighting such as: traffic, water sources, land fund for fire prevention and fighting teams and teams, communication systems, . and funding for fire prevention and fighting activities.
- To take measures to create a drastic change in the propagation, dissemination and education of laws and knowledge about fire prevention and fighting so that each cadre, party member and people of the people's class voluntarily abide by and implement themselves current regulations oflaw on fire prevention and
fighting. Improving content, renewing forms, measures and methods of propagation to raise awareness oflaws, knowledge and skills on fire prevention and fighting, equipping people with real knowledge and skills necessity, especially knowledge offire prevention; escape skills, initial use offirefighting equipment and devices; integrate knowledge and skills on fire prevention and fighting and rescue in curriculum, extracurricular activities in schools and educational institutions suitable for each discipline and level of study.
- Direct the ministries, branches and urban centers to promptly advise on the elaboration, amendment, supplementation and promulgation of new standards and technical regulations related to the field of fire prevention and fighting; local technical regulations on fire prevention and fighting for a number of special types of facilities of each municipality; stipulate regimes and policies to support forces engaged in fire prevention and fighting and rescue operations commensurate with the nature and task requirements; adopt specific policies to encourage and motivate people of all strata to participate in fire prevention and fighting activities;
- To plan and build networks and contingent of officials performing the state management of fire prevention and fighting increasingly regular, elite, master the professional knowledge and skills in fire prevention and fighting. In particular, in the context of the fourth industrial revolution has had strong impacts on all aspects of socio-economic life in urban areas in Vietnam, including fire prevention and fire fighting. Typically, the construction of smart cities, green cities, etc. Therefore, it is necessary for the Fire Prevention and Fighting Police force to continuously study and improve their professional qualifications and skills, access to advanced scientific and technical achievements from countries around the world in the field of fire prevention and fighting to research and apply them to suit the socio-economic development context in urban centers in Vietnam;
- There should be a clear coordination mechanism, assigning specific tasks between the fire pre-
vention and fighting police force with the concerned ministries, departments and branches and participants in the field of fire prevention and fighting. fire fighting. The new organizational structure of the Ministry of Public Security, including the Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Force, has changed a lot, so that the state management of fire prevention and fighting is effective, the close coordination is, methodical, systematic, clearly defined and decentralized work among the relevant stakeholders is one of the decisive factors. In order to do that, it is necessary to promulgate a coordination mechanism that is uniform in form, content, measures and methods of organization of implementation and must be agreed to be issued in writing.
Technical and technological solutions:
- Regarding the technical infrastructure planning on fire prevention and fighting in urban centers, it is necessary to:
+ There is a close coordination between the fire prevention and fighting police force and the agency tasked with urban planning and development. Especially, the issues and contents of planning are related to ensuring the safety of fire prevention and fighting. The technical network of fire prevention and fighting in urban areas is a decisive factor, which has important implications directly to the effectiveness of fire prevention and fighting, which is the transport system, the source of water, communication, ... The uniformity, modernity and covering the entire urban area of the above systems will make an important contribution in minimizing human and property damage caused by fire and explosion. out;
+ Focusing on reviewing, repairing and maintaining the technical infrastructure systems which have been invested to ensure that they are always in good working condition. Planning a new technical infrastructure system for fire prevention and fighting in urban areas has not been planned, ensuring that the technical infrastructure system for fire prevention and fighting is uniformly, uniformly and completely covered. set area of the municipality.
- Regarding technical and technological solutions to prevent the spread of fires and big fires at home, works and production technology lines:
+ For buildings and constructions, when being built and in use, it is necessary to: use the highest level of incombustible and uninflammable substances and materials in lieu of inflammable substances and materials; limiting the amount of flammable substances and properly arranging them; isolation of dangerous fire and explosion environment; prevent the spread of fires; use structures with fire resistance levels suitable to the fire and explosion hazard levels of the work;
+ For production technology lines, it is necessary to select: technological lines which produce little or no danger of fire and explosion; appropriately arrange technological equipment, use automatic devices to adjust pressure, temperature ... so that the technological process ensures safety when operating; solutions to ensure safety for the process of operating, maintaining and repairing production technology machines and equipment.
Conditions to ensure effective implementation of fire prevention and fighting in the following urban
areas:
- System oflegal documents, standards, national technical regulations, local technical regulations in fire prevention and fighting, ensuring full, uniform and uniform from the Central to local;
- Stepping up the socialization of fire prevention and fighting, effectively taking advantage of funding sources for the investment, equipment and construction of the fire prevention and fighting police force to ensure unity and approval. modern rules
and requirements to meet the requirements set out in the new situation;
- Enhance international cooperation, especially the exchange and technology transfer in the field of fire prevention and fighting. In particular, technologies in the fourth industrial revolution are opportunities and opportunities for fire prevention and fighting police force to apply to their practical work as applications on Robots in managing, detecting and preventing fires from occurring; fire fighting robots, search and rescue in the fire and under the water;
- Ensuring that the contingent of officials engaged in the planning work, the ministries of the fire prevention and fighting police force have full capability, professional skills, knowledge of foreign languages and information technology; be capable of researching scientific and technological advances and practical applications in the field of fire prevention and fighting in Vietnam.
5. Conclusion
Solutions to ensure safety in fire prevention and fighting in urban areas are one of the important contents contributing to promoting the socio-economic sustainable development of the country. Effective implementation of the above solutions will contribute to minimize fires, explosions and damage caused by fires and explosions in urban areas. At the same time, the consistent, systematic implementation and assurance ofconditions for organizing the implementation of solutions is a decisive factor to the effectiveness of the work of ensuring fire safety. urban areas, contributing to raising the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of fire prevention and fighting.
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