Doha, Jun 4 (Gulf Times) : Fire extinguishers being unloaded outside a hypermarket yesterday. As part of their strategy to enhance the visitors’ safety, mall operators are exploring many new options. PICTURE: Jayan Orma Mall operators across the country are exploring new options as part of their efforts to put in place advanced safety measures to ensure that they are fully equipped to meet all sorts of emergencies.

The new development comes in the wake of the devastating fire at the Villaggio shopping mall on May 28 in which 19 people, including 13 children, lost their lives.

When contacted, at least three major mall operators told Gulf Times that they were busy working out new plans as part of their efforts to provide better security and safety to every visitor, especially at weekends when malls receive more customers than usual.

Inquiries with the companies providing safety and security solutions also yielded similar replies with some of them claiming to have received new inquiries from mall operators and owners of new commercial complexes.

“The fire at Villaggio seems to be the main reason for this spurt in interest for safety among the owners of many complexes,” said a Western expatriate, who is imparting lessons on safety and security mainly to production facilities in Mesaieed.

An official at LuLu Hypermarket said his group had safety and security on top of their agenda and had never compromised on the two aspects. “Our malls follow the best safety and security technologies, practices and procedures and members of our safety teams have undergone courses and programmes held under the stewardship of acclaimed British experts, imparting training in the field for so many years,” he said.

Even though the malls are still to formally receive any new guidelines from the Civil Defence Department, none of them is leaving anything to chance, it is understood.

“Civil defence personnel visit our premises at intervals to ensure that we followed their safety and security guidelines without fail,” said a mall manager.

“Inspections are also carried out by their group’s own security teams on a daily basis as part of their duties and our maintenance teams are always on a vigil,” he added.

The retailer said in a move to boost safety at their mall, the company was planning mock drills at regular intervals.

Responding to queries, staffers at another major mall in Doha, which began operations nearly two years ago, claimed the security systems at their shopping centre should be among the best in the country.

“Could you say which other mall has as many as six emergency exits on the first floor,” asked one of its officials. “Besides a very wide common stair leading to the first floor and escalator alongside, emergency exits have also been provided on either side of all lifts inside the mall.”

The company, he said, is still considering if more could be done to enhance safety of its visitors in the wake of the fire at such a well-planned complex as Villaggio.

Asked if similar plans will also be carried out at their old branches, the official said the company would strictly follow revised civil defence guidelines if any, applicable to buildings built prior to 2006.

Like some of the schools that have approached the civil defence teams with requests of mock drills in their premises, at least one leading mall operator is considering to hold similar demonstrations in his complex in the summer months.

Owing to the sweltering conditions in the region from May to September, chances of fire cannot be wholly ruled out as central air-conditioners and all other cooling equipment are at work at full capacity, said the manager of a new mall in Muaither.

“However our priority is always to prevent such fires at any cost,” he said

If some of the mall operators are to be believed, their companies are engaging qualified professionals to supervise their security systems at intervals.

Another retailer said safety technologies developed in Singapore were as good or even superior to those provided by British and US companies.

“At least in this region, they seem to be very effective and could provide better safety comfort to complexes,” he said.

His company’s mall is among those adopting Singapore developed technologies along with western solutions, he said.

Asked if modifications would be effected in the building plans of the group’s projects under construction in the country, the retailer said no compromise whatsoever would be made on the safety aspect of the new complexes.

“Even if it meant a delay in the opening of our new branches, it doesn’t matter so long as it is concerning with the safety of visitors,” he added.