Fire Safety in Apartment Communities

There are special areas of concern when it comes to fire safety in apartment buildings. Families in apartment buildings live close together; affecting each other’s risks associated with fire. While the chances of a fire starting in an apartment are about the same as in a private home, apartment fires have the potential to spread fire, heat and smoke throughout the building affecting the safety of all occupants.

Here are a few tips we hope you can share with your tenants:

1. KNOW YOUR EXITS

There must be two means of egress (exits) from your apartment building. Your primary or first exit is your apartment door that leads into either an unenclosed (not separated

by walls and doors) stairway or through a public hallway to an enclosed stairway that leads to the street.

Your secondary exit should be one of the following, depending upon the building’s date of construction that also leads directly or indirectly (through a yard) to the street level:

– an additional enclosed stairway accessible from the public hallway. (newer buildings)

–  an enclosed fire tower (stairway accessible from the public hallway).

– an outside fire-escape accessible from within your apartment through a window or door.

An elevator is never an acceptable means of exit during a fire.

2. KEEP YOUR EXITS CLEAR AND WORKING

Properly maintained fire doors and exits will greatly reduce your chance of being killed or injured in a fire in your building.

– Maintain your apartment door or doors leading into the public hall or vestibule as fireproof and selfclosing. (tampering with the self-closing hinge or blocking the self-closing of such door is illegal).

– Make sure you apartment door lock can be opened from the inside with a thumb turn. (without the use of a key).

– Maintain doors leading from the public hallway into the stairway or fire tower as fire proof and selfclosing. (again, tampering with the self-closing hinge or blocking the self-closing of such door is illegal.)

– Keep stairways and outside fire escapes free of obstructions at all time. Do not store anything such as baby strollers, bicycles or rubbish on or under stairways or on stairway landings.

3. SHOULD YOU STAY OR SHOULD YOU GO?

A – If you live in a NON- FIREPROOF BUILDING and there is a fire, it is usually better (safer) to leave the building immediately.

Fireproof does not mean that the building is immune to fire. While the structural components may not catch on fire, the contents will and generate life threatening heat and smoke.

Generally speaking, in a fireproof building the fire and smoke will be contained to the portion of the building (apartment) where the fire has started.

B – If you live in a FIREPROOF BUILDING and there is a fire, it is usually better (safer) to:

– Stay inside rather than entering smoke-filled hallways, especially if the fire is above your apartment.

– Keep your door CLOSED.

– Seal the door with duct tape or wet sheets and towels. Seal ventilators and any other openings where smoke may enter.

– Turn off air conditioners.

– Unless flames or smoke are coming from below, open your windows a few inches at the top or bottom. Don’t break windows; they may need to be closed later.

– Call the Fire Department with your apartment number and description of the conditions in your apartment. Firefighters willbe directed to your location.

C – If the fire IS IN your apartment, regardless of construction type,

– Get everyone out. Stay low as you go.

– Use your safest and most accessible exit.

– CLOSE ALL DOORS as you leave.

– If using an interior stairway, alert people on your floor by knocking on their doors on your way out.

– DO NOT USE THE ELEVATOR

– Call 911 once you reach a safe location.

It seems as though fire related headlines and fire response teams we’re on high alert this week. Below are three  of these stories which show how quick and catastrophic fires can be.

 

Rooming house landlord sentenced to 3 years after tenant died in fire