Landlords in capital city must commit to fire prevention measures

A fire broked out on June 8 at a house on Hàng Vải Street in Hoàn Kiếm District, Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The People’s Committee of Hà Nội has developed several measures to enhance fire prevention and control in multi-storey residential buildings, multi-apartment housing, and houses combined with production and business activities.

Hà Nội Police will provide advisory support for implementing regulations and directives. In collaboration with the Department of Construction, Hà Nội Police will issue documents on urgent measures to enhance fire safety conditions, tailored to local realities, to be completed by 30 July 2024.

Hà Nội Police will organise reviews, inspections and classifications, and issue fire safety measures for multi-storey residential buildings, multi-apartment housing, and houses used as production and business establishments (including rental housing). Facility heads and homeowners must commit to a timeline for implementing the fire safety measures issued by the People’s Committee, with all measures to be completed by 30 March 2025. Non-compliant business establishments will be required to cease operations until compliance is achieved.

The Chairman of the People’s Committee has instructed Hà Nội Police to strictly handle establishments that do not meet fire safety requirements, particularly those in use before Fire Prevention and Control Law No. 27/2001/QH10 took effect on 4 October 2001. This includes rectifying and handling all buildings put into use without approval or inspection for fire safety and ensuring no new non-compliant buildings are used.

For fires causing serious damage, Hà Nội Police will investigate the causes, identify responsibilities, and handle them strictly according to legal regulations. They will ensure accountability of local party and government leaders if high-risk establishments operate without adequate safety conditions, resulting in serious consequences due to a lack of leadership, direction, inspection, or supervision.

The People’s Committee of Hà Nội requires all sectors and localities to clearly define responsibilities, emphasising the responsibility of leaders in implementing assigned duties. They must proactively prevent and mitigate fire incidents to minimise damage. Relevant units must promptly resolve arising difficulties to ensure effective implementation. Heads of units should regularly guide, inspect, and supervise fire prevention measures.

Local party committees and governments, especially at the grassroots level, are called to collaborate with the police in leading, directing, and executing fire prevention, firefighting, and rescue tasks. Inspections must be intensified, and any lapses or lax management in fire prevention and rescue must be handled, including considering criminal liability of local parties and government leaders.

The city will review and propose amendments to the current legal framework for fire prevention in multi-storey residential buildings, multi-apartment housing, and single-family homes combined with production and business activities (including rental housing). In the short term, authorities must be advised on removing impractical regulations that hinder fire prevention efforts and addressing shortcomings in state management regulations for this type of housing.

Hà Nội will continue to develop its fire prevention infrastructure in line with the Hà Nội Master Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050, and the Hà Nội Master Plan Adjustment Scheme to 2045, with a vision to 2065. This includes building transportation networks, water supply systems, and communication systems that meet fire prevention and rescue requirements.

The city will also focus on inspecting, supervising, and promptly addressing inadequacies in fire prevention and rescue efforts to prevent and eliminate causes leading to fires.

Hà Nội will issue and implement a comprehensive plan to improve fire prevention and rescue capacity, ensuring safety in the capital until 2025, with a vision extending to 2030. VNS