What you should do after suffering an emergency in your home
In all its actions, Barcelona Fire Brigade drafts a report that is available to the people affected. This report contains information about the incident, if the affected people were not at home at that time, so that they can claim for damages or present it to the corresponding insurance companies.
People must apply for the incident report in writing, indicating the exact address and the date on which the incident occurred. The report is sent by post to the interested person within a period of seven days, approximately.
The request may be submitted:
- To any Citizen Help and Information Office.
- To the bcn.cat/tràmits portal.
POSSIBLE DAMAGE
After an incident in the home, or in another flat belonging to the same community, various types of damage may have occurred:
Structural damage:
In cases where the building has suffered some type of structural damage affecting its safety, the following situations may arise:
- Whenever possible, the firefighters will take provisional measures, such as sealing off some affected areas or buttressing them; and people may then continue to live in the building until the owner undertakes the corresponding repairs.
- In cases where it is not possible to apply measures which ensure the structural safety of the building, or part of the building, some dwellings or the entire building will be evacuated.
Damage to utilities:
If basic utility services (water, gas, electricity) or the sewer system are damaged:
- If the gas installation is damaged, the firefighters will cut the supply and place an emergency call to the gas supplier to inspect the installation as soon as possible.
- If the water or electricity installations are damaged inside the building, the owner must request its repair by an authorised company.
Water damage caused by extinguishing the fire or due to the water-supply installation being damaged:
- As a consequence of putting out the fire or leakage from hoses, the flats below the one affected by the fire may suffer water damage in the hours after the accident. It is recommended to use towels on the floor to protect lower flats from subsequent leakage, as well as disconnecting electrical devices and electric cables that may have been affected, until the water leakage has stopped..
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
- Contact your insurance company, the owner of the flat or the property administrator in order to determine the insurance cover for damages and temporary accommodation, and to request instructions in regard to the specialist damage report and any necessary technical arrangements.
- If you have to leave your home temporarily, due to risks associated with the incident, ask the firefighters to accompany you, in order to collect essential personal belongings (documents, medicine, glasses, hearing aids, money and other things).
- If the the dwelling cannot be closed (front door or windows) due to the incident, contact your insurance company to arrange for the necessary emergency repair services. If you are unable to do so, contact the Guàrdia Urbana police force, in order to assess the temporary custody of the dwelling.
RECOMMENDATIONS IF YOU INHALE SMOKE
Sometimes, the symptoms arising from possible smoke or gas inhalation may appear days after the incident, and it is therefore advisable to go to a hospital if the following symptoms appear:
- Difficulty in breathing or a persistent cough.
- Moderate or severe headache
- Nausea, dizziness or vertigo
- Diarrhoea, especially in children
- Difficulty in breathing
- Sight or hearing disorders