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Kamala Mills Fire | Fire code an integral part of how buildings are built in US: Dr Harris Solomon

Fire safety is something that is ingrained in every US citizen from a young age, and fire drills are regularly held in schools and workplaces. The idea is to teach evacuation response after an alarm sounds, says Harris

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Dr Harris Solomon
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After the Kamala Mills fire, DNA spoke to Dr. Harris Solomon, an anthropologist from Duke University in North Carolina, US, about the culture of fire safety and how US media covers fire incidents. Harris is in Mumbai for a project to study traffic accidents and traumatic injuries.

He said fire safety is something that is ingrained in every US citizen from a young age, and fire drills are regularly held in schools and workplaces. The idea is to teach evacuation response after an alarm sounds.

Harris said, "There is a structure in the US where exits are made known. For example, before a movie starts playing in a theatre, the exits are pointed out. Being in a building is also like being in an airplane where exits are known to you and are brightly marked. It is a common idea that safety regulations in all commercial buildings require that there will be multiple exits to a room."

The fire code is an integral part of how buildings are built in the US, said Harish. An electrician will only work or fix a machine that meets the code. There is a specific unit for the city authority that regulates if the infrastructure of a building meets the safety code.

When asked how media covers fires, he said, "There is local uproar after an incident. The media picks it up like they do in India. Politicians play the blame game."

There was a fire in a building in Bronx area of New York on Friday that killed 12, including 3 children. Harris feels that unlike India, such incidents only garner localised coverage back home. "The New York Times has prominently carried the fire on its front page, however, the Washington Post hasn't. It is notable that the Mumbai tragedy has garnered national attention. The media is drawing a connection between previous incidents and a pattern is traced. It is important to connect the dots and it is positive that people are doing that. "

These issues don't get much visibility or political action in the US, he said. " It could partially be due to fewer incidents happening back home. The incident is not seen as a political event, but just as an adherence to safety codes issue."

On political attention to fire incidents, he said," In the US, gun violence gets political action, but not a fire in a building."

SAFE FROM FIRES

In the US, fire safety is something that is ingrained in every US citizen from a young age, and fire drills are regularly held in schools and workplaces to increase the safety quotient.

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