Anti-theft windows block the escape and fire rescue channels of the masses, causing heavy casualties and property losses, which is a common problem exposed in many heavy fire accidents in recent years. The stock of anti-theft windows is difficult to remove, and the increment is difficult to control, and the "broken window action" in some places has encountered great resistance.
Anti-theft windows often become "life-threatening windows"
Around the Spring Festival this year, three major fire accidents occurred in Nanyang student dormitory in Henan, Xinyu street store in Jiangxi and residential community in Nanjing, Jiangsu.
An eyewitness at the scene in Xinyu, Jiangxi Province, said in an interview with the media that although the anti-theft window on the second floor of the accident site had a latch, it was difficult to find it in an emergency situation filled with fire smoke.
The investigation found that some of the burglar-proof windows were welded to the exterior walls, sealing off the fire scene as a "death cage". Many anti-theft windows do not have escape doors, which have become "life-threatening windows", which has aggravated fire casualties.
The problem of anti-theft windows hindering escape and rescue occurs not only in residential buildings, but also in crowded places such as street shops and training institutions. On June 25, 2021, a major fire accident occurred at the Zhenxing Wuguan in Zhecheng County, Henan Province, killing 18 people. The accident investigation report pointed out that the four exterior windows of the student collective dormitory on the west side of the second floor of the martial arts hall were installed with anti-theft nets, resulting in the students being unable to escape from here.
The Yancheng Fire and Rescue Detachment of Jiangsu Province has carried out demolition tests on anti-theft windows of different profiles, and the results show that it takes 1 minute and 30 seconds to dismantle hollow stainless steel round pipe anti-theft windows; It took 1 minute and 12 seconds to dismantle the galvanized iron square pipe anti-theft window; It took 1 minute and 46 seconds to demolish the old-fashioned pure steel bar security window.
"This is not counting the time for firefighters to pick up and deliver demolition equipment, because breaking anti-theft windows often requires high-altitude work, which further increases the difficulty of implementation." Ding Junbiao, head of the Yancheng Fire and Rescue Detachment, said that at the fire rescue scene in a race against time, the anti-theft window greatly delayed the rescue time.
Fan Qiangqiang, former chairman of the Science Education Committee of the China Fire Protection Association, said that most residential buildings on the mainland only have one evacuation passage in the corridor, and when the corridor is blocked by fireworks, the window becomes the only emergency escape exit, and once blocked by the anti-theft window, it is very easy to cause casualties.
Can't control it, can't dismantle it, can't control it
In recent years, with the improvement of the social security environment and the progress of security technology, contact crimes such as burglary and robbery have been greatly reduced, and the original function of anti-theft windows to prevent intrusion is no longer significant. However, there are also many residents in high-rise communities who choose to install anti-theft windows in order to prevent children and the elderly from accidentally falling from the building, and the number of anti-theft windows installed has increased unabated.
"Some people think that installing burglar-proof windows can bring extra psychological comfort and feel safer." Lu Junjie, deputy captain of the Tinghu District Fire and Rescue Brigade in Yancheng City, believes that the installation of anti-theft windows has become the inertia of many residents. Some residents believe that even with the improvement of technical defense, physical defense is still important.
The Fire Protection Law stipulates that the doors and windows of crowded places shall not be equipped with obstacles that affect escape and fire extinguishing and rescue. In accordance with this regulation, fire departments in some places have also carried out special rectification actions of "broken windows" in "nine small places" with dense populations. However, it is difficult to apply the provisions of this law to the demolition of anti-theft windows in non-densely populated places such as residential buildings, and the fire departments in many places can only issue initiatives to advise residents not to install anti-theft windows.
The Yueyang City Urban Management and Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau of Hunan Province said in response to the proposal of the CPPCC members on further strengthening the rectification of "anti-theft windows" that there is no legislation nationwide on the management standards of anti-theft windows, especially high-rise residential anti-theft windows.
When some local urban management departments receive complaints related to anti-theft windows, they dismantle the outward-lifted anti-theft windows that exceed the wall façade as not meeting the relevant standards of urban appearance management, and there is no basis for compulsory demolition of non-outward-lifted anti-theft windows.
In February this year, the National Fire and Rescue Administration issued a notice that it is strictly forbidden to set up obstacles on doors and windows in crowded places, and those that have been set up should be removed on their own initiative. Experts suggest that to increase the removal and rectification of anti-theft windows in densely populated places, fire protection, urban management, planning and other departments should take the initiative to take responsibility and move in the same direction, and guide residents to reduce the installation of anti-theft windows, or open escape openings in anti-theft windows.
The interviewed grassroots cadres believe that local governments can adapt measures to local conditions and clarify the installation standards and management requirements of anti-theft windows by revising local fire protection regulations and management methods. Housing and construction, urban management and other departments guide property enterprises to increase physical defense and technical defense equipment, improve the level of community security, and reduce the willingness of some residents to install anti-theft nets.
Source: Half Moon Talk