No Fire Equipment, No Alarm System, How Did the Ko City Hall Conduct Safety Inspections?

No Fire Equipment, No Alarm System, How Did the Ko City Hall Conduct Safety Inspections?

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

April 28, 2020

 Translation of an Excerpt

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pneumonia pandemic, only six have died in all of Taiwan, while at a Cashbox KTV parlor in Taipei City, a tragic fire took five human lives in an instant. Such a calamity pains people’s hearts. What is most incredible is that the preliminary investigation shows that all five sets of "fire-fighting equipment" were shut off in the entire building housing the Cashbox KTV parlor, while the "PA system" in the building had not been turned on for a long time, thus leading to the in-operation of both the water sprinklers and the alarm system, leaving calamitous casualties. For an entertainment venue lacking a sense of responsibility and consciousness of safety, how in the world did it pass the safety inspections of Taipei City Hall?

From this case of the Cashbox KTV, it is not difficult for people to observe: the "formalism" of fire-fighting management by the government has been hollowed out to such an extent. For the operators, there was fire-fighting equipment, but it was not put to use, there was a PA system but it was not turned on, and they entertained the customers, but did not ensure their safety. When the fire broke out, the Cashbox KTV staff not only failed to do their utmost to notify the customers for emergency evacuation and seeking refuge, but facing outside circles’ awe and questioning, the firm didn’t have any important cadres come forward to offer explanations; this was extremely irresponsible behavior. On the part of City Hall, there were inspections but not fully enforced, only asking about the hardware equipment but not about its functions and daily management; there were records indicating “qualified” at inspection, but they did not guarantee the effective operation of the system. For all this, wasn’t this the worst case of red tape?

This fire is no small matter; it clearly reflects the mentality of the operators behaving in a way most convenient to them and the bureaucratic formalism on the part of the government.

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