An Iraqi parliament member, Sabah Al-Sheikh Habib, outlined three points to mitigate the risks of fires in government offices on Thursday. In an interview with "Baghdad Today," Habib stated that "the level of fires increases by no less than 50 percent with the arrival of summer due to various reasons, leading to losses amounting to billions of dinars across the country, some of which are severe, especially in complexes and markets as they cut off the livelihoods of thousands."
He added that "the precautions taken by offices and institutions to prevent fires are not up to the desired level regarding reliance on civil defense guidelines, which necessitates a comprehensive inspection by civil defense for each office to identify shortcomings and hold these offices accountable for any fires as it is the optimal procedure."
Habib indicated that "revamping a comprehensive plan to fortify government offices and institutions against fires and adopting a thorough methodology from civil defense in the assessment, along with imposing strict penalties for any negligence or shortcoming, are the three ways that contribute to protecting offices from future fires."
He emphasized the "necessity of training offices on emergency plans in case of a fire and striving to create fortified rooms that protect important sections and documents from any damage if a fire occurs." It is worth noting that the civil defense directorate announced yesterday, Wednesday, that it extinguished a fire that broke out in a commercial building in the Shuhada area, north of Baghdad.
