Ministry of Interior - Bulgaria
GENERAL DIRECTORATE
FIRE SAFETY AND CIVIL PROTECTION
INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR
“FIRE PREVENTION”
(Bled, Slovenia, 19.05. – 20.05.2011)
ONE YEAR OF ENFORCEMENT OF MODERN
NORMATIVE AND TECHNICAL REGULATIONS IN
THE FIELD OF FIRE SAFETY
R. V. Bogoev. Directorate General “Fire safety and civil
protection”, Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria, Sofia
•With the report revealed from me in Leipzig last year you
became acquainted with technical regulations to ensure fire
safety, and regulations governing the activities of monitoring of
compliance with fire safety requirements in design,
construction and operation of buildings, facilities and
installations in the Republic of Bulgaria, and in particular with,
the Ordinance Iz-1971 on the constructional and technical rules
and standards to ensure fire safety (operated since 05.06.2010).
I made a report to the new aspects of the ordinance, the law of
the European Union and European specifications in the field of
fire safety, and especially I introduced the new of the
investment project "Fire Safety".
•Major changes in the concept of fire safety of buildings, which
occurred with the enactment of the ordinance, necessitated
conducting training seminars and courses for all participants in
the investment and construction process - architects,
designers, supervisory authorities.
• The first training course was organized at the Academy of Ministery
of interirior - the Faculty “Fire Safety and Protection of Population”.
It was for the heads of regional directorates „Fire Safety and
Protection of Population” in the country and heads of sectors and
groups in sectional offices “Safety and Protection of Population”.
Instructors of the classes were professors from the Faculty “Fire
Safety and Protection of Population”, some of which have
participated in the committee for the development of the ordinance.
Specialists of Directorate General „Fire Safety and Protection of
Population” were invited and took part as lecturers in the course.
The aim of the course was to clarify the basic points in regulations
and the aspects of ordinance’s application.
• Meanwhile, the efficient management of the Chamber of Architects
in Bulgaria and the Chamber of Engineers in Investment Design
organized their own training sessions on the Ordinance in 4 districts
in the country - in Blagoevgrad, Rousse, Sofia and Varna.
Specialists of Directorate General „Fire Safety and Protection of
Population” participated as lecturers in seminars.
• In September last year, Directorate General „Fire Safety and
Protection of Population” required information from regional
directorates „Fire Safety and Protection of Population” regarding
articles in the ordinance, which creates problems during
implementation and which are vague or non-applicable. The
information was summarized and analyzed and it was decided to be
issued formal guidance on the implementation of the Ordinance. For
this purpose, committee was set up. The committee consisted of
specialists from Directorate General „Fire Safety and Protection of
Population”, professors from the Faculty „Fire Safety and Protection
of Population” and experts from the Ministry of Regional
Development. The guidelines for implementation of the ordinance
have been officially issued at the end of November last year.
• For the purpose of clarification of the Ordinance and to provide
methodological support for effective state fire prevention in the
design and construction, the efficient management of Directorate
General „Fire Safety and Protection of Population” decided to
organize new seminars in the country. They were held in December
in 7 districts of the country. Specialists of Directorate General „Fire
Safety and Protection of Population” participated as lecturers in
seminars.
• Since the entry into force of the ordinance in June last year we
received numerous complaints from the Chamber of Engineers in
Investment Design. They consisted allegations that the requirements
of the ordinance are too restrictive and they lock investment process
in the country. This is so because the ordinance regulates completely
new standards and technical solutions to ensure fire safety, which are
vague and incomprehensible to most designers and they require
major expenses of implementation and maintenance. For example
such systems are systems for smoke and heat control, the technical
installations in buildings with a height over 28 m and in buildings with
atrias, car ramps in garages etc. Because of this the ordinance
regulates the new part of investment project “Fire Safety” to be
developed by skilled engineers in field of fire and emergency safety.
• Directorate General „Fire Safety and Protection of Population”
decided to amend the ordinance. Directorate General „Fire Safety and
Protection of Population” required information from regional
directorates „Fire Safety and Protection of Population” and external
organizations (associations of firefighters, Chamber of Architects in
Bulgaria and the Chamber of Engineers in Investment Design)
regarding articles in the ordinance, which creates problems during
implementation and which are vague or non-applicable.
• The information was summarized and analyzed by experts from
Directorate General „Fire Safety and Protection of Population”. Now
we are faced with establishment of committee consisting of
specialists from Directorate General „Fire Safety and Protection of
Population”, professors from the Faculty „Fire Safety and Protection
of Population” and experts from the Ministry of Regional
Development. To maximize the effectiveness of committee’s work, it
is possible to include representatives from some external
organizations - such as designers of the new part of investment
project “Fire Safety”.
• For complete synchronization of the Bulgarian legislation on fire
safety to that of the European Union were developed other ordinance
too. The most important of these is the Ordinance on the rules and
requirements for fire safety in the peoces of opretion of buildings. It
regulates the requirements and implementation of measures to
ensure fire safety during the operation of buildings and facilities.
Owners and managers of buildings and facilities are required to
follow its requirements . At the moment the ordinance is posted on
the official website of the European Commission for an opinion of the
countries - members of the European Union. After this procedure, the
ordinance will be subject to agreement by other interested
institutions in Bulgaria.
In respect with the fusion the Directorate General “Fire safety
and Rescue” and General Directorate “Civil Protection” (on
01.01.2011), are gradually updating and developing legislation.
In these cases we will rely on the professionals involved in
developing the regulations for the prevention of fires.