The First 30 Seconds: What to Do in a Fire — and What Georgian Law Requires of You

When a fire starts, you do not have minutes to think. You have seconds. What you do in the first half-minute decides almost everything that follows. This guide covers two things every household and business in Georgia should know: exactly what to do when fire breaks out, and what the law actually requires of you.

Part 1 — The first 30 seconds

Fire spreads fast, but smoke spreads faster, and smoke is what kills most people. The goal of the first 30 seconds is simple: get out, stay breathing, and don't go back.

1. 1.Alert and get everyone out. Shout "Fire!" so others hear you. People come first — never stop for belongings.
2. 2.Stay low. Smoke and heat rise; the cleanest air is near the floor. If a room is smoky, crawl.
3. 3.Use the stairs — never the lift. An elevator can stop between floors and its shaft fills with smoke. Always take the stairs.
4. 4.Close doors as you leave. A closed door slows fire and smoke and can buy you crucial minutes.
5. 5.Check doors before opening them. Use the back of your hand. If a door is hot, don't open it — there's fire on the other side. Find another way.
6. 6.Once outside, call 112 — and stay out. Never re-enter a burning building for anything.
7. 7.If you're trapped, go to a room with a window, shut the door, seal the gap underneath with cloth (wet if possible), and signal from the window for help.

Stop, drop and roll if clothing catches fire — don't run, which feeds the flames.

When you can act: stopping it small

Not every fire means immediate evacuation. A pan fire, a smouldering socket, a heater that's just ignited — these are often small for a few seconds before they grow. If you can reach a fire-suppression ball or an extinguisher *without putting yourself between the fire and your exit*, using it in those seconds can end the emergency before it begins. The rule: if it's bigger than you, or between you and the door — leave and call 112.

Part 2 — Calling 112

112 is Georgia's single emergency number for fire, police and medical help. It has worked nationwide since 2012.

• It's free from any phone, including one with no SIM card and no balance, anywhere in the country, 24/7.
• When you call, stay calm and tell the operator:

1. 1.The exact address of the fire.
2. 2.What is happening and what help you need.
3. 3.Your name.

• English-speaking operators are available. Don't hang up until the operator tells you to.

(Source: 112.gov.ge; Ministry of Internal Affairs.)

Part 3 — What Georgian law requires

Fire safety in Georgia is not optional good advice — it's regulated, with criminal liability behind it.

The Technical Regulation on Fire Safety

Government Decree №370 (23 July 2015, amended since) sets the national fire-safety rules. Key duties include:

• Posted evacuation plans in buildings and structures — other than private homes — where more than 10 people can be present at once.
• A notification (alarm) system to warn people of a fire in those same buildings.
• Safe handling of gas appliances, household chemicals and flammable liquids.
• Immediately notifying the fire service when a fire is discovered.

(Source: Technical Regulation on Fire Safety, matsne.gov.ge.)

Criminal Code Article 243

Breaching fire-safety rules is a criminal offence under Article 243 of Georgia's Criminal Code when it causes serious harm to health or significant damage. In other words, ignoring fire-safety duties isn't just risky — when it leads to injury or death, it's prosecutable. (Source: matsne.gov.ge.)

What this means in practice

• For a shop, café, office or workshop: keep exits clear and unlocked during opening hours, post the evacuation plan where staff and customers can see it, maintain working alarms and extinguishers, and make sure staff know the escape route and how to call 112.
• For a home: the law expects basic care, but the smart standard is higher — a working smoke detector, a clear way out, and a means to stop a small fire. The same smoke that's deadly in a hotel is deadly in an apartment.

The bottom line

You can't control when a fire starts, but you can control your first 30 seconds — and you can meet (and exceed) what the law asks. Know your exit. Keep it clear. Keep a way to stop a small fire. Call 112. That's the whole drill, and it's what ORDEX is built to support.

Sources: Emergency calling and 112 service — 112.gov.ge; Ministry of Internal Affairs (police.ge). Fire-safety law — Technical Regulation on Fire Safety (Govt Decree №370) and Criminal Code Art. 243, matsne.gov.ge.