NFPA Journal - November/December 2019 - 14

documents. "It's an important step to
point in time. Regularly in Brazil,
is a lack of public education related
improving safety requirements not only he said, the continued inspection of
to fire safety, which leads to a lack of
for hospitals, but for all types of faciliproperties and enforcement of codes is investment in safety, experts say. This is
ties," Queiroz said.
overlooked.
evident not only in September's hospital
But as the Fire & Life Safety Ecosys"It's not uncommon for there to be
fire, but also in the other recent major
tem shows, having robust codes and
a lack of maintenance of certain fire
blazes that Rio has experienced.
standards in place is only part of what's protection systems, or a change of the
"Brazil has been going through econeeded to ensure fire and life safety.
nomic turmoil for the past six years or
Introduced by NFPA at its annual
so," Queiroz said. "Fire safety has taken
Conference & Expo in 2018, the Ecoa back seat to other issues, leading to
system provides a comprehensive
reduced investment in safety, which
"Brazil has been going
framework that identifies the compoincreases the risk of fires. In general,
through economic
nents that must work together to help
people just don't think about fire in
turmoil for the past six
prevent loss, injury,
their day-to-day lives. Educating people
NFPA.ORG/
years or so. Fire safety
and death from
is a huge challenge. We have to raise
DISPATCHES
has taken a back seat to
fire, electrical, and
their awareness of the danger of fire so
Read a detailed
other issues, leading to
other hazards.
that they want to invest in safety. This
account of the
reduced investment in
Development and
is the only way to prevent new trageSeptember 12,
2019, hospital
safety, which increases
use of current
dies from happening."
fire in Rio de
the risk of fires."
codes is just one of
A failure to invest in safety, as well
Janeiro, Brazil,
from NFPA's
those components;
as a lack of government action to proRobert Solomon.
others include
vide the funding for such investments,
government responsibility, referenced
is largely what led to the widespread
standards, investment in safety, a skilled
facility's layout without the necessary
destruction during the fire in Brazil's
workforce, code compliance, preparedupdates to the design of fire protection
National Museum late last year. The
ness and emergency response, and an
systems," Queiroz said. "There's a lack
200-year-old building lacked sprinklers
informed public.
of accountability to make sure facilities
and other basic fire protection mea"Codes and regulations weren't the
that are already approved continue to
sures needed to protect a building of its
problem" in the Badim Hospital fire,
comply with the code."
size and vulnerability.
Caledonia said. Nor were they the
Compounding this failure of the
To learn more about the NFPA Fire
problem in other recent highcode compliance component of the
& Life Safety Ecosystem, visit nfpa.org/
profile blazes that have occurred in
Ecosystem in Rio, and Brazil as a whole,
ecosystem.
Rio, including a fire that
consumed the dormitory of
a soccer camp in January,
killing 10 teenagers, and the
September 2018 conflagration
that razed Brazil's historic
National Museum, destroying some of the world's most
prized historic artifacts.
Instead, Caledonia and
Queiroz said, it's mainly the
breakdowns in the other
components of the Ecosystem
that perpetuated the damage
inflicted by incidents like these.
Government records show
Badim Hospital had a certificate of approval issued
by the local fire department
signifying it was in compliance with local codes and
standards. But Queiroz said
that only means the facility
was compliant at the single
KISS OF DEATH In 2013, the third-deadliest nightclub fire ever occurred in Santa Maria, Brazil, killing 242.

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NFPA Journal - November/December 2019

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