his Abu Dhabi building, across the road from Al Wahda Mall, is lacking an active fire-alarm system

Many apartment tenants may be at risk from fire because there is no alarm system in their buildings, or because fire-safety equipment is not regularly maintained.

In other buildings, frequent false alarms caused by over-sensitive equipment give residents a false sense of security, and they may be slow to react in the event of a genuine emergency.

The National visited 14 residential buildings in Abu Dhabi neighbourhoods and found three did not have fire-alarm systems. They were in the city centre near Al Wahda Mall and in Al Danah, and housed lower-income expatriate workers.

An alarm is only one part of a fire-safety system, experts say. Alarm systems must have regular, proper maintenance to function correctly, and residents should know when systems are being tested.

Authorities appear reluctant to discuss the issue. Abu Dhabi Municipality said inquiries should be directed to Civil Defence. The National put a series of questions to Civil Defence on August 11, on fire-safety issues in general and in particular how residents should respond to frequent false alarms. They have not yet responded. Read More