Fire Prevention, Preparedness and Response in Informal Settlements, Residential and Non-Residential Buildings for Refugee and Host Communities in Lebanon

Lebanon hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees officially registered/recorded with UNHCR, residing in informal tented settlements and residential and non-residential buildings scattered around the country. Informal settlements, due to their informality and spontaneity as they are built in an ad-hoc manner, are at high risk of fire.

Informal Settlements

Need for Fire Prevention & Fire Awareness

Presently, no regulation in Lebanon for site planning or domicile residence that can incorporate appropriate fire mitigation. Inadequate fire guidelines due, in part, to lack of estimates of fire- related injuries or structural loss in humanitarian settings. Fire policy and mitigation strategies in countries affected by crisis are contained by inadequate data on incidence, causes, and impacts, Lack of capacity and resources for data collection, modelling, and analysis.

Need for Temporary Technical Committee

Background Resulting from needs highlighted during the development of the national guideline for a standardized approach to fire safety training and materials key recommendation of the SCI Fire Risk Reduction Assessment conducted in 2016. Initiated and funded by UNHCR, led by SCI, and conducted by Operation Florian for TTC5 shelter partners to partake in and become Master Fire Safety trainers.

TTC: Fire Prevention, Preparedness and Response (FPPR) Partners

Shelter partners with experience in Fire Safety in the Lebanese Context worked together to develop the first ever National Guidelines for Fire Prevention, Preparedness and Response in Informal Settlements, residential and non-residential buildings in Lebanon. Led by Save the Children International Co-chaired by the Lebanese Civil Defence Contributions from shelter partners including UNHCR, Medair, NRC, PCPM, PU-AMI, INTERSOS, ACTED, UNHabitat, and the Ministry of Social Affairs. Partner contributions per section was in accordance to strength in implementing activities, experience in the field,

Major Findings of the TCC5: Hard Component

Need to enhance composition of firefighting kit items in the shelter types and include more efficient tools Addition of fire hooks and beaters as priority items for the creation of fire breaks in informal settlements Addition of smoke detectors in residential & non-residential buildings to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning Need to create formula for the distribution of fire extinguishers and fire stands in accordance to congestion of the camp-sites Need for complimentary soft component to strengthen capacity and increase effectiveness of the hard component

Major Findings of the TCC5: Soft Component

Need for standardized training materials, tools and resources for all humanitarian agencies implementing fire safety activities Need for harmonized approach to delivery training to increase effectiveness of fire safety activities within refugee & host communities Need for enhanced post fire reporting, monitoring and evaluation tools to increase sustainability and continuity of adequate fire prevention practices Need for strengthened liaison with LCD and LRC to capacitate and support local institutions delegated in disaster risk response

Fire Safety Workshop 19 Fire Master Trainers capacitated from SCI, Medair, NRC, ACTED, PCPM, PU-AMI, INTERSOS, UNHabitat, LRC, & the LCD to train fellow staff, and refugee and host communities Development of a standardized training package (materials, tools & resources) Launch of SCI National Fire Safety Tools & Resources online platform