“My lessons from the Carlton Towers fire and why citizens should take fire safety seriously”
Conversation with Ms Sashi Rajamani, Chairperson, Social Venture Partners(SVP), is a Carlton Fire survivor.
Ms. Vasanthi Hariprakash: Sashi, you were there on that day when the Carlton tragedy happened. Now, as someone who came out of it, I want to begin by asking you, what is it that you would like us, as citizens, to focus on, because it has clearly changed your perspective as you are sharing. So, let’s begin with the citizen talk. And what has been your perspective on it?
Ms. Sashi Rajamani: Before I start with my story, I have a few questions for the audience. It’s like a truth or dare but I’m going to just dare you to tell me the truth.(A show of hands for each question)
How many of you change gas cylinders in your own houses?
How many have a kitchen emergency fire spray in your house?
How many of you know the telephone number of your nearest fire station?
How many of you have participated in a fire drill recently in your own communities?
How many of you know the closest hospital that can actually treat fire victims?
So this is a great audience!
If someone were to ask me these questions, 13 years ago before I was in Carlton Towers on that evening, quite possibly, my answer would have been ‘No’, to many of these, but today, I’m a lot more aware, responsible, and responsive. Since that time, I’ve become part of the QRT team and I continue to be a part of this team. I believe, like charity, safety begins at home! As an example. I work with my dad, who’s 83 years old, to check the cylinder and the hose, regularly.
There is a nearby school where I have been volunteering for almost 12 years. I had done the safety audit for six schools after the experience at Carlton Towers. I had also gifted some fire extinguishers, which is a novelty in life. You don’t gift fire extinguishers but I found it as one of the best gifts to a school nearby.
A small fire accident that we read in newspapers could be a lot more than what is conveys
There was an early morning blast – three cylinders went up in the air and that shook up 1.5 kilometres away! The glass door of my home was shaking. I could have just thought – well, something happened, become curious, and waited for the newspaper the next day, and I would have been done and dusted. But I decided to follow up to see how many victims, and where they were taken. They were taken to St. John’s Hospital, and the beds were all occupied. So, they didn’t have a hospital to rush the five people injured, including the business owner’s wife. We then found a hospital working with the police department. So it’s important to understand that we are all stakeholders. We needed to follow through on a sequence of steps, and coordinate actively at the hospital. In this case we did it almost every day for five weeks. Eventually, it was sad, since all of them died. There was follow through for three more months with the police and with the business owner to see if they got their compensation. So basically, being aware, being responsive and being responsible as a citizen is essential. I fully endorse Mr Jena’s point that the citizens have to get engaged, and must be empowered. They have to be aware, otherwise I don’t think we can make a systemic change come through. So that’s the kind of difference that’s happened in my life. I’m happy that I have learnt, and made changes in behaviour and attitudes towards fire safety.
Ms. Vasanthi Hariprakash: I just want to take you through the other side – which is that as a survivor that particular day, when your father was waiting at home, the way you look at things, that inner change. One of the things that I would love you to share with the audience is making public spaces, fire safe for children. I mean, that is something that you are engaged in at a personal level.
Ms. Sashi Rajamani: So, when this happened, my daughter was five years old, and she did not know the details of what she was watching on TV. Neither did my father, who called my brother and said, “do not take Old Airport Road, there is some problem and there is a complete roadblock.” Then my brother said, “ this is exactly the tower in which your daughter’s office is located.” So, in any case, when I went home, my father, my five-year-old daughter greeted me with a crayon work that she had done with tall buildings, and people as stick figures jumping. Because my father had kept the TV on, and she’s been watching it and taking it all in. I worked in the corporate world, 11 years in the US, and 11 years in India. I got promotion after promotion, wanting titles, after titles homes after homes, cars after cars. I mean, this is how you measure your success, I guess, until something like this happened, and I was stuck there on the fifth floor of Carlton Towers.
How the incident changed my life for good
I could have also been gone in the fire. Somewhere the stars align, the universe is watching for me and I was saved. So then I went home, I thought I’ve been given a new lease of life, and I should do something different. I’m sure God has a game plan in this. And at that point in time at Carlton Towers, I was running an NGO, for the first time in the social sector. I was learning the game but it paid very well. Paid me a corporate salary at that point in time too. So I decided to move on to pro bono social work, and ever since for the last 12 years I’ve been working with around 28 or so NGOs. It has been most rewarding, and humbling to see the change makers who are dreaming and aspiring like Mr. Vijayan. It’s hard work, and the problems are so complex. The stakeholders to solve any problem or way too many to bring together, to make them work together to solve a problem. But these change makers are out there with almost no money in their pockets. But just passion, and true passion driving them.
And I’m so happy to be a little power, little battery that gives them the little energy to move ahead and being able to contribute. My years since Carlton have been extremely rewarding.
Ms. Vasanthi Hariprakash: Please share with us your big takeaways
Policymakers are many, we suffer with implementation
Ms. Sashi Rajamani: I would like to repeat some of the points made by Mr. Jena. We have many policymakers in India. Many beautiful policies are written, and then moving it into an Act happens over the years. But when it comes to implementation, we suffer, and I think Mr. Jena explained all of that. So we need bureaucrats, we need political leaders, we need citizen movements which can actually come together to make these things happen. So to that, I would request that we make an investment, not only in infrastructure, but in human resources and when we make policies, let’s be more inclusive.
Are our policies inclusive?
I work in the space with lot of people with disabilities and nowadays organizations are big into hiring saying that they’re inclusive. So organizations, who are hiring these people with disabilities. Do they know how to take care of them? And especially in the event there is a fire? So let’s make sure the policies are very inclusive and also make investments in infrastructure and human resources for this purpose. Allow rather, invite citizens to participate in vigilance and governance. I think if they take control in their hands, whether it is through our RWA, whatever form it is, it will make a difference.
Can we use air time to spread fire safety awareness?
Ms. Sashi Rajamani: We need more hospitals, especially government hospitals, that have burn wards. Seriously, I don’t think there are many hospitals like this, where you’re allowed to treat fire victims. We see the advertisement about smoking being injurious to health shown at the movie screens, where you close your eyes. That’s how bad it is! It’s not tastefully done either. It’s very scary, but nobody bothers, they still smoke. Could we use air time like that? During emergency announcements on the plane, every time we all listen. Right? Can we talk about fire exits in public spaces? Can we create awareness? When you enter a hall like this, we announce ‘can you put your phones on silent mode’. What if also talk about the location of the fire exit, or a emergency message? You don’t have to wait for things to happen, but create this as part of awareness in public spaces.
Can we create awareness in schools?
Ms Sashi Rajamani: In schools, children are eco-warriors these days. For the last ten years, eco-warriors have become a popular term. Can we build ‘Fire Buddies’ – who not only know how to act, but also how CPR is commonly taught? Can we teach them how to be the first responder whether it’s in your own house, or in their own school? Can we challenge public spaces including schools, whether they’re doing their drills? If you walk into a mall, when you see an extinguisher does anyone go and read the label to check if it has expired? Do we challenge them for maintenance? The AMCs? – to show when this was done? I think there’s lots that we can do, and it’s in our hands.
Ms. Vasanthi Hariprakash: It was not just sharing of memories, but really, each one of those points that you mentioned. We join you in that salute to all the people who keep us safe and thank you so much.
