Brussels Fire Department Uses Van Apartment to Highlight Fire Risks

The Brussels fire department has introduced a novel approach to fire safety education: a converted delivery van that serves as a mobile apartment. This unique vehicle, complete with a kitchen and barbecue area, allows visitors to experience fire risks firsthand in a controlled, accessible environment.

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We notice that people find it difficult to imagine what it's like to be confronted with fire. By taking them into our truck with the recreated apartment, we can point out fire risks.

Malika Abbad from the Brussels fire department's Prevention Service explained the rationale behind the initiative. "We notice that people find it difficult to imagine what it's like to be confronted with fire," she said. "By taking them into our truck with the recreated apartment, we can point out fire risks." The unit covers various safety aspects, from terrace barbecue safety to the importance of smoke detectors and evacuation plans within the home.

Visitors can engage with interactive elements, such as extinguishing a small flame on a stovetop with a lid or testing a smoke detector. A quiz further reinforces the safety messages. Abbad highlighted that this mobile unit offers a more approachable way to engage the public compared to previous, more direct, public outreach methods. "In the past, we often had to approach people, making some think we were trying to sell something," she noted. "With this vehicle, it's clear we want to raise awareness. People now come to us spontaneously, allowing us to explain what we do in a more relaxed manner."

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In the past, we often had to approach people, making some think we were trying to sell something. With this vehicle, it's clear we want to raise awareness. People now come to us spontaneously, allowing us to explain what we do in a more relaxed manner.

With an average of three house fires occurring daily in the Brussels region, the fire department emphasizes the significant risk to residents. The department hopes this educational vehicle, which will be present at major events and potentially visit underserved neighborhoods, will prompt more people to consider fire risks, install smoke detectors, and know how to ensure their safety.

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That means that a house fire is not a small risk at all for a Brussels resident. We hope that through our work, Brussels residents will think about the risks of a fire, that they will install smoke detectors, and that they will know how to bring themselves to safety.