Korean Job Discussion Forums

[4seasons]

In light of the Namdaemun, Kapoun (ESL teacher) and other recent fires here in Seoul, I am wondering how many of us here in Korea living in apartments or villas that have no smoke detectors, sprinklers, fire extinguishers or other safety equipment.

If we do not have them, is there some way to get landlords to install safety equipment, or to have them installed on our own? Your ideas/experience would be helpful. Please vote even if you choose not to comment.

I have neither smoke detectors nor sprinklers in my apt. This has concerned me for a while but now, I am going to have smoke detectors installed asap, even if it is at my expense.

[DRAMA OVERKILL]

Have neither, but not for long. I too plan to install a smoke alarm in the very near future. The sprinkler system is just not possible, though.

[mrsquirrel]

Extinguishers in the stair well

[spliff]

Good, I need one...

[Chamchiman]

In five apartments in Korea, one had both (a new office tel) and four had neither (three old villas and one old apartment building).

[bassexpander]

New apartments usually have fire extinguishers and smoke detectors, or a heylon (sp?) gas ball that hangs over your stove to extinguish stove fires. You'll know if you have it, because it's half the size of a basketball. It looks like this:


My current villa is old, and has nothing, so we bought a fire extinguisher. We got it at E-mart, and it was less than 20,000 won, if memory serves. Be sure to get the kind that is good for all kinds of fires: A,B, and C.

A worthwhile investment!

If you live on a high floor, you might find that your place has a metal thing in the wall like this:


There might also be some pipes on a swing mechanism to hook a lifeline to, so you can escape out of the window. The lifeline is usually kept in a box. It's little more than a rope with a hook on the end. Better than nothing, but can't imagine some ajumma trying to make use of it!

[bassexpander]

Some Korean sites selling smoke alarms, extinguishers, and such:


http://www.nofire.co.kr/shop/shopbrand.html?xcode=004&type=X

http://sss119.co.kr

[fortysixyou]

Absolutely. My apartment has both. So did my apartment last year.

Good question though. It's important to start raising awareness about this.

[bassexpander]

If you want to install a fire sprinkler system in your teacher apartment, here are the heads.

http://edmart.olta.kr/it_detail.asp?pr_code=0119400503107700


You can find a lot of the fire-extinguisher stuff in the hardware area of E-mart.

[xtchr]

It's good to get the latest equipment, but please remember they'll have a limited effect if some twit of a Korean has blocked/locked exit routes. Take a look around your local Homeplus etc. Sure, they have fire extinguishers handy and sprinklers etc, but they also have some sets of doors locked shut, and others completely blocked by trolleys and boxes. In the event of a fire it will be every adjuma for herself, and a stampede through one entrance/exit only.

The same goes for the school I just started at this week, it has a fire extinguisher around every corner, but does anyone know how to use them? - I doubt it. And the end doors of all the corridors are locked with a bicycle chain all the time, for some unfathomable reason.

[4seasons]

Bassexpander... thanks for sharing this really important information!!!

Exchr, you make a good point. Maybe you could ask your school to have someone come in to demonstrate the proper use of the extinguishers. Btw, is there specialized training for that?

[bassexpander]

Smoke detectors on sale tonight in Haebangchong to benefit the guy who got burned:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=115868

[4seasons]

about 78% of those who voted claimed that they have neither smoke detectors nor sprinkler systems!!!

The sprinklers we may not be able to put in on our own, but we certainly can at least get smoke detectors and maybe fire extinguishers.

[spliff]

Nice links BE. The second link has this:

http://sss119.co.kr/shop/good.php?mode=view&code=15&Page=1&no=232

for 13,000...which is sold for 34,000 on danawa and bb. These are sold/made in the US so quality should be OK.

Thanks!

[polonius]

Many apartments have heat detectors. Mine has one. I am afraid that it would react a little too late though.

When we decided to get pregnant, we bought a smoke alarm on our last trip home.

We have since done research online, and purchased a smoke alarm, and are going to test it. If it works well, my academy will purchase one for all 25 of our teachers.

Also, we saw at costco some small kitchen fire extinguishers. 2 for 30,000 won. Going to make that investment.