After a lengthy, constructive and very interesting discussion which resulted in some important text revisions … on Friday afternoon, 10 April 2015, at the
‘Fire Safety for All’ Conference (www.fire-safety-for-all.ie) … all participants voted to adopt, support and promote the Dublin Declaration on ‘Fire Safety for All’ in Buildings !

With regard to International Distribution and Promotion of the Declaration … many readers belong to varied professional, social and business networks.
I would earnestly ask you to circulate the Declaration widely within those networks, and to actively seek the support of as many organizations and individuals as possible. This support should be confirmed by means of a simple e-mail message to: fireox@sustainable-design.ie … after which the names of every supporter will be added to this page.

You can download the 2015 Dublin Declaration now … in PDF and WORD formats … by clicking the links below:

2015 Dublin Declaration
PDF File, 153 Kb

2015 Dublin Declaration
WORD File, 230 Kb

This Benchmark Declaration … an essential new reference document for all stakeholders and interested parties … draws a long-awaited, broad, distinct
and stable line in the shifting sands of a rapidly evolving Sustainable Built Environment …

1. As of April 2015, over 150 Countries and the European Union have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Since the Convention became an international legal instrument in 2008, however, the CRPD Preamble’s Paragraphs (g) and (v) have tended to receive insufficient public attention and scrutiny. The Dublin Declaration on ‘Fire Safety for All’ in Buildings and the CIB W14 Research Working Group 5’s Reflection Document have been drafted with these two paragraphs very much in mind.

2. Although a situation of serious risk for vulnerable building users … it is not appropriate to deal with ‘Fire Safety for All’ in Buildings under Article 11 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) … where situations of grave risk are handled, e.g. Extreme Man-Made Events (2001
WTC 9-11 & 2008 Mumbai Hive Attacks), Hybrid Disasters (2011 Fukushima Nuclear Incident), Severe Natural Events (Earthquakes, Floods, Landslides, Typhoons, Tsunamis), Complex Humanitarian Emergencies (Mass Human Migrations, Regional Famines) … all amid Accelerating Climate Change
& Variability.

Take the case of an earthquake, for example … there will be large-scale serious building damage and many, many building collapses throughout an affected region. On the other hand, when considering fire safety for all in any building … which is a completely different case … it is necessary that
the building shall remain not just structurally stable, but serviceable.

3. It is more appropriate, therefore, particularly since the publication of International Standard ISO 21542 (2011) with its expanded definition of Building Accessibility, that ‘Fire Safety for All’ be incorporated into Article 9 of the CRPD … in exactly the same manner that fire safety is fully integrated into everyday mainstream building use, and mainstream building fire safety codes and standards. An improved and updated definition of Building Accessibility
is contained in Principle 3 of the Dublin Declaration.

As there are no references, at all, to either ‘fire’ or ‘safety’ in Article 9 … there is much to be explained and clarified in the
2015 Dublin Declaration, if ‘real’ implementation is to be both practical and successful.

4. Existing approaches to Fire Safety, Protection & Evacuation in Buildings for People with Activity Limitations … as described and illustrated in the notable examples of British Standard B.S. 9999 (2008), Singapore’s FSR 7 (2011), and Hong Kong’s Fire Safety Code Addendum (2014) … are technically inadequate, tokenistic, discriminatory, create barriers to social participation, and violate human rights. Therefore, any further use or recourse to such existing approaches must be terminated immediately !

Supporters

If you wish to add your name to this list, please send an email to fireox@sustainable-design.ie …

If you wish to add your name to the above list, please send an email to fireox@sustainable-design.ie …

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