The key facts

  • The tallest fire aerial ladders in Uzbekistan reach 72 meters; 100-meter equipment would require too large a platform
  • In skyscrapers such as Nest One and Pyramid Tower, smoke-free staircases, fire lifts, sprinkler and drencher systems are used
  • The experience of the UAE, China and South Korea is being studied; dedicating an entire floor as a safe evacuation zone is practiced

Aerial ladders — up to 72 meters

Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of Uzbekistan Khurshid Sotiev said that construction of buildings of 50 stories and higher continues in Tashkent, and special attention is paid to the fire safety of such facilities. According to him, the tallest aerial ladders of rescuers reach 72 meters. Equipment designed for 100 meters is impractical to deploy — it would require too large a platform. Therefore, when designing high-rises, fire safety regulatory documents of leading foreign countries are studied, and proposals are made already at the design stage.

Internal fire suppression systems

Sotiev noted that high-rise buildings must have smoke-free staircases and fire lifts, as well as automatic suppression systems — sprinklers, which supply water automatically when a set temperature is reached, and drenchers, which simultaneously activate several sprayers in the fire zone. "By the time our rescuers reach that floor, time is needed. In a fire, every minute counts. Internal fire hydrants and primary suppression means, that is, fire extinguishers — these are the systems that work before the Ministry of Emergency Situations units arrive," Kun.uz quotes him as saying. The deputy minister also emphasized that residents and management organizations must not arbitrarily alter a building's design or interfere with engineering systems; restrictions on the use of gas systems in high-rises are also among the safety measures.

Foreign experience and safe floors

Chief specialist of the urban planning prevention administration Aziz Abduazizov said that the experience of the UAE, China and South Korea in firefighting and protecting people in high-rise buildings is being studied. According to him, in buildings such as Nest One and Pyramid Tower, fire aerial ladders allow rescuing people from a maximum of 72 meters. The practice of dedicating an entire floor of a building as a safe zone, to which citizens are evacuated in emergencies, is already being applied.

Real-time digital monitoring

Abduazizov added that attention is paid to the widespread implementation of automatic fire suppression systems and monitoring their condition in real time using digital means. Signals from automatic devices at various points in a building are simultaneously transmitted to the situational centers of the fire and rescue service and the building's dispatch centers. This makes it possible to monitor the condition of the entire facility and promptly detect a fire, ensuring the safety of people in the relevant zone.