Author: Ina Allkanjari
That's how much it costs a small business to install fire protection equipment. And although the risk of fire is becoming more and more present, businesses neglect to take measures for their safety and neglect the legal obligation to protect against fire. Property insurance still remains at very low levels, it is time to take this issue seriously. The battle against fire cannot be left to firefighters alone!
Gëzim Murataj, administrator of Geam Sh.pk, a company with over 20 years of experience in the Albanian market in the field of fire protection, tells Sinjalizo that although there is an increase in interest from customers, most businesses are still not informed about the importance of fire prevention measures.
Murataj notes the need for greater information and awareness of preventive measures, including the installation of equipment such as fire alarms, fire suppression systems, and employee training.
"For a new business, it is imperative to have a fire protection plan that adapts to the nature and risk of its activity. Also, a plan should be presented which consists of activity and effectiveness in case of fire. This is associated with what is called the resistance of the object in case of fire. This is what we offer, as we do not only sell equipment, but also offer expertise before and after the fire", says Murataj.
In most cases, as the business gets up and running, attention, time and money are likely to go to business benefits rather than security. Murataj stops by the small business, explaining what equipment should be available in order to provide protection in case of fire.
"A small business in a 5×5 m2 facility should normally have a fire extinguisher, a 6 kg fire extinguisher. They are generally used with powder, but can also be with carbon dioxide when dealing with electronic devices. There should also be a smoke sensor, an autonomous smoke detector not in the system and a sign in case of evacuation that should be phosphorescent or illuminated", says Murataj.
Taking fire safety precautions does not cost much, although many businesses neglect it. Gëzim Murataj says that all the above equipment that a small business needs together with the training certificate have a cost of about 7 thousand ALL.
According to him, it is not enough for a business to complete the appropriate measures for fire protection and then to continue the activity for years without collating and certifying them every year.
"Personnel, fire fighting equipment, activity must be certified every year. You have to look at the machines, the equipment, what has changed in the business and based on the situation it is judged and evaluated what measures should be taken", says Murataj.
But although businesses are made aware of this rule, there are entities that do not make the necessary adjustments or changes to equipment after the 1-year deadline has passed. The administrator of Geam Sh.pk says that they often turn to customers explaining the importance, but also the lack of effectiveness, of devices if they are left for a long time.
On the other hand, a good part of mostly medium and small businesses exercise their activity without any measure of fire protection. Murataj emphasizes that some of them show up to ask for the necessary tools for fire protection months or years after the business has opened.
"There are many businesses that have been operating for many years and have not taken any measures for fire protection. They came to look for fire protection equipment or to be certified, as they have been practicing the activity in an unprotected way for a long time".
Asked about the measures taken to prevent fires in businesses, the Director of the Tirana Fire Department, Shkëlqim Goxhaj, tells Sinjalizo that they are carrying out continuous inspections in the capital to identify businesses that have not taken the necessary measures for fire protection.
"What we do for businesses is that we have inspection teams and we force businesses to obtain the fire protection certificate, which means that the business has taken measures to protect itself from fire", says Goxhaj.
Sinjalizo visited several medium and small businesses that have been operating in different areas of the capital for years. On condition of anonymity, business owners admit that they are not informed about the procedures they should follow to provide fire protection.
When asked if upon opening the business they received an orientation document on fire protection and the equipment they should have, they say that they have never been provided with such documentation and have not been asked by the institutions about equipping the business with safety tools in fire cases.
AD, the owner of a bar near Elbasan Street, says that despite being in business for 10 years, the only equipment he has for emergencies is a fire extinguisher.
He has no information about the fact that the equipment must be replaced or consolidated every year and that a business of the size of the bar that he manages must also have other safety equipment.
A business owner (clothes store), who operates near Paris Municipality in Tirana, says that there is no fire protection measure. Neither is business insurance.
An important factor that Gëzim Murataj highlights is the lack of information and awareness by owners regarding the risk of fire and the preventive measures they should take.
"Not taking measures for fire protection is to their detriment and to society's detriment," he says.
A key component of an effective fire protection plan is an occupational hazard assessment. Although some Albanian businesses present this document for labor inspection, often this is just a formality and there is no serious approach from the business side.
Gëzim Murataj, says that during the cooperation with businesses for fire protection, they also present the work risk assessment document which is required by the labor inspectorate.
"According to the wards, pavilions, activity, we present the danger of the fire falling and the dimensions it can take, and thus prevention is done and appropriate measures are taken", says Murataj.
Business fire insurance
The lack of fire protection measures in many businesses is also associated with the lack of insurance.
Regardless of whether the business is consolidated, or is in the first steps of raising the activity, if it is not insured the owner can face the real risk of bankruptcy from the destruction of the property.
Although the financial losses that businesses can have in emergency cases are extremely high, still a large part is not insured.
An alarm bell for everyone was the case of the fire in the "Metropol" center in Lushnje during the month of December last year, where due to the lack of precautions taken by the shopping center, but also by the businesses themselves, the fire destroyed everything and it also endangered people's lives.
Besim Myftari, one of the citizens of the city of Lushnje, told Sinjalizo about two of the shops in this center that his sister-in-law owned.
“She had two shops that had brides and grooms who work in Italy and they supplied the shop the day before the fire. 40 million ALL goods. Now they are over, there is no more. When the second one starts, they start over, but to start over is zero".
Xezmi Metushi, the head of the fire department in the municipality of Lushnje, told Sinjalizo that if a business is insured, it can receive compensation, but until the moment of the conversation with Mr. Metushi, about a month after the serious event, none of the businesses had appeared to receive fire proof.
"Two family members came here who received the certificate of fire, no businesses, they have not come to me until now. They use the certificate as they wish, but one possibility is that these families receive compensation from the municipality", said the head of the fire department.
On the other hand, the Director of the Tirana Fire Department, Shkëlqim Goxhaj, says that if there is an event in a business insured by fire, the insurance companies make the payment for the fire service as well.
"We have a decision of the council of ministers on rates and if we have an event in a business insured by fire in the respective insurance companies, we bill these insurance companies for the working hours that we work in the businesses, but it is not our duty to to force businesses to be insured", says Goxhaj.
The Association of Insurers of Albania says that business property insurance usually covers damage caused by fire, smoke, explosions and related perils. Regarding property valuation in case of insurance, the association writes on its official website that the insurance policy specifies the method used to determine the value of the property, which may include the current cash value or the replacement cost value.
"Present cash value takes into account depreciation, while replacement cost value covers the cost of replacing damaged property with new items."
In the annual report of the Financial Supervision Authority, it is shown that in 2022, compared to 2021, there is an increase in reinsurance premiums in all portfolios, but there is a decrease in the weight of the "Fire and other property" product. For the year 2022, it is established that this product occupies about 31.6% of the total premiums ceded in reinsurance, namely 987 million ALL.
How much is the law enforced?
In January of this year, the Ministry of the Interior issued a new order for a nationwide inspection of measures and tools to increase and guarantee public fire and rescue safety.
The General Directorate of Fire Protection and Rescue in the Ministry of the Interior, units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in each municipality, the National Inspectorate for Territory Protection and the territory protection inspectorates in each municipality have been instructed to periodically check the measures and means of protection from fire in each object, with specific criteria according to the level of risk.
After the issuance of the order, the Director of the Fire Service at the Ministry of the Interior, Holta Komino, told the media that administrative measures will be imposed on the subjects if they are not equipped with fire protection measures.
This order comes after the burning of the "Metropol" shopping center in Lushnja in December of the year I left. In this event, the lack of a ladder and other means caused the rescue teams to face difficulties in extinguishing the flames.
At a time when fires are unpredictable, it is important that businesses take concrete steps to ensure the safety of their employees, customers and property. Although the law no. 152 of 2015 obliges physical and legal persons to take measures to prevent and reduce fires, by means of tools, systems, dictation-signaling devices for extinguishing fires during the performance of their activity, a good part of businesses in Albania have decided not to respect and implement this law.
It is vital that businesses take fire risk seriously and comply with the law to ensure their own safety and that of others. As recent cases clearly show, the consequences of an unmanaged fire can be catastrophic, not only in financial terms but also in the loss of human life. Investing in fire protection measures and adequate insurance is not only a social and legal responsibility, but can also serve as a preventative measure that protects businesses from destruction.
The battle against fire cannot be left to firefighters alone!
This article was created based on input provided by individuals who have chosen to speak up. Share your story, empower others and be an agent for change. Visit the website: www.acqj.al/sinjalizo-dhe-ti/
