A framework for fire safety in informal settlements

The framework provides a common language around fire safety for a wide range of stakeholders seeking to improve fire safety in high-risk informal settlement communities. Acknowledging the devastation a single fire can have, the framework for fire safety in informal settlements is organised around four stages of the fire disaster cycle. It offers practical guidance to help NGOs, aid organisations and governments guide individual households, communities and cities to take proactive action at each of the following stages of the fire disaster cycle:

• Mitigation - measures to prevent or reduce the likelihood, severity, and consequences of fire.

• Preparedness - strategies, procedures, resources and training that influence and inform stakeholders' fire response and recovery.

• Response - actions taken during a fire incident to save lives, protect property and critical infrastructure.

• Recovery - actions taken in the aftermath of a fire incident, both immediately to assist with healthcare and welfare, and longer-term to return communities to normal life and bring about improvements in fire safety.