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REGRETTABLY,
Fire International
has
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reported on a number
of tragic fires in Thailand that have involved a high loss of life.
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Tom Kanathat
Chantrsiri,
a fire consultant and charity organiser is trying to change this trend.
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Tom
Kanathat became aware of the importance of fire safety when he was
producing safety awareness videos for a cement company. He had to research
the subject from scratch and slowly became aware of a "certain
apathy" in fire safety in Thailand.
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A
trip to Korea reinforced this view when he saw how well high
rise buildings were protected. He was
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so impressed with the
equipment he saw in Korea, he decided to import it and market it in Thailand.
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Taking this one step further.
He began to organise a series of courses training children in hoe to deal
with fires and emergencies. This led to the formation of The Fire and
Rescue Association of Thailand
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FARA
, a non-profit organisation founded last year to help
promote fire safety and education to
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children up to the age
of 12.
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"It
is probably too late to educate adults on how to respond to fires and other
emergencies,"
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he
told Fire International,
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"it
is more effective and will help save more lives if we teach the children.
Then they will
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know
how to act in an emergency and can pass on safety tips to their parents."
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The
first course the children attend is on
discipline. Says Tom Kanathat:
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"Discipline must come
first, then firefighting. Children must not just learn abort fire, but
must also learn
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the value of passing their
knowledge onto others." He is convinced that this also helps instill good
citizenship into children.
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FARA
has four main activities, the first of which is to teach children
the 'Learn not to burn' curriculum. This involves hands-on training
on using fire extinguishers, first aid, CPR, fire evacuation, anti-drugs
messages and self defence. Class sizes are abort 35 children, always accompanied
by a parent or
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neighbour, who are encouraged
to join in.
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Kitted
out in fireproof jackets, boots and helmets, the children learn the basics
of fire safety - the association makes the training fun and helicopter
evacuations, abseiling and other activities ensure that
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their attention is held.
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The Disabled Safety project
focuses on people with special needs. Mr Chantrsiri says:
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"Our
experience has shown that disabled people are the most vulnerable in case
of fire and we aim to provide them with a basic knowledge of fire and how
to save themselves,
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as
well as using different kinds of fire extinguishers."
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FARA
also provides first aid and fire prevention training for industry and some
government sectors. In addition, the association provides free information
on safety devices installations,
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such as smoke and heat
detectors, fire alarms, sprinklers and other safety systems.
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Children
and adults who have participated in the courses often return as
volunteer instructors; all of the courses are funded by donations and,
eventually, Tom Chantrsiri hopes to
raise
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enough money to build
a Fire Safety Academy for the whole of South East
Asia.
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"We
are trying to create a more safe and less risky environment to all in the
world, not just Thailand," he explains.
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Tom
Kanathat Chantrsiri
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The Fire International Magazine, September 1998 No.164 Page 8
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