Fire prevention in the Informal Settlements in Akkar, North and Arsal In the recent years, fierce fires of Syrian refugees' Informal Settlements have resulted in destruction of hundreds of tents and deaths of dozens of refugees. In 2015, a series of fires in the ISs in Bekaa Valley left over 50 people killed (mainly children) and several settlements completely destroyed. Lebanese Civil Defense data indicate 160 IS fires in 2016 alone. In Bekaa there were almost as many IS fires as all other fire incidents combined.
Activities undertaken by PCPM and other partners active in the fire prevention area since then managed to considerably limit the risk and spread of refugee tents' fires. These activities are quite unique among various emergencies worldwide and innovative, while not very technically savvy.
PCPM has implanted the fire prevention project that targeted over 300 IS since 2016 and as many as 160 in 2018 alone (including 30 in Arsal). Over the course of three years, PCPM has gained a good experience in implementing the fire prevention activities and also gathered a rich monitoring and evaluation material. This project aims at addressing residual fire prevention needs in the IS in Akkar amp North, as well as for in Arsal for the IS-es with 10 tents or more.
According to PCPM reporting for 2016-17 fire risk reduction project, as many as 25% of informal tented settlements used firefighting equipment provided by PCPM to combat open tent fire, bush fire or to control IS fire. Only that part of the project, further continued and expanded in 2018, saved at least 15 ISs from destruction. Extrapolating this figure on the current number of PCPM-assisted IS, it may be estimated that between 30 and 40 ISs were saved from fire-related destruction.

The project is based on five main activities:
Activity 1: Fire risk assessment – on-site validation of the desk assessment
Each IS will be visited by PCPM team to validate the desk assessment done in the preparatory phase, to assess the main fire risks in the IS and to establish cooperation with the IS population. 

Activity 2: Procurement and distribution of firefighting kits in line with shelter sector guidelines
Based on the assessment and the size of the IS, the proper number of fire kits will be installed in the IS. A fire extinguisher will be distributed in 1 per 4 tents modality, and a full fire kit will be provided per each 5 extinguishers (approximately per 20 tents). 
The full fire kit will consist of: 
a) Fire beater
b) Shovel and a box of sand
c) Fire blanket
d) Grappling hook
e) Fire extinguisher
f) Board to place the equipment with basic information on fire response

Activity 3: Signing MoU with the representatives of the IS community
MoU will be signed between PCPM representative and the representatives of the community (represented by the shawish and another appointed community member)

Activity 4: Provision of fire awareness sessions and trainings for IS population conducted by PCPM staff and Lebanese Civil Defense staff and volunteers 
The training on fire prevention and basic use of the extinguishers will target all groups of IS population, with special focus on women and children. Refugee fire response teams will be selected and trained in the use of the provided equipment and “Do’s and don’ts” in tackling various types of fires. Training is conducted by PCPM staff and volunteers or staff of Lebanese Civil Defense.
Trainings will be implemented in close cooperation with LCD and local municipalities.

Activity 5: Post-distribution monitoring 
Monitoring visit will be conducted in selected IS, aiming to check the state of the equipment in the months following the delivery and to measure the inhabitants’ knowledge and practices on fire prevention. In case of technical failures of the equipment, especially the fire extinguisher, the equipment will be replaced.