The Tower against risk
The block that Casa Molines is building in Clot d’Emprivat follows French fire regulations and has incorporated suggestions from firefighters.
What difficulties will firefighters face working in a 20-storey building, and how is it evacuated? In the case of the building promoted by Casa Molines, the Tower, “redundant” fire safety systems have been chosen based on French regulations because the Andorran one does not accommodate buildings of this size and is old. The block has two internal emergency staircases that are sectored and that, if necessary, could become evacuation spaces. In addition, each landing has a lobby that will act as a barrier if a fire occurs on a floor to prevent smoke from reaching the staircase. And firefighters will always be able to use an elevator that will continue to operate even if the power goes out because it is powered by a generator. This elevator will be used both for firefighters to move between floors and to evacuate residents of the building. Once the detectors installed on each floor alert to smoke, the smoke extraction ducts that reach the roof, water hoses and a fresh air supply system will be activated, all to protect potential evacuations and the spread of smoke. Windows at the top of the stairs can also be used for ventilation if, despite the precautions, smoke ends up entering. The construction management and the fire service have already maintained contact. The developers wanted the fire department to know the building and its safety systems to make their job easier if they have to intervene in a real fire. In addition, the firefighters have also made suggestions that have been incorporated into the construction, such as installing taps on each floor so that the rescue team can connect their own hoses if necessary.
