When you live in a high-rise apartment building, you might worry about your safety in the event of a fire. High-rise apartment buildings aren't the easiest residences for firefighters to rescue people from, and some might make the mistake of taking the elevator down to the ground floor instead of the stairwells. There are a few things you can do to ensure your apartment building, big or small is safer for everyone, such as:
Monitored Fire Alarm System
Not all states or cities may require a monitored fire alarm system, but for a larger building and even a smaller unit, the tenants should insist on it. The faster the fire department gets word that there is a fire detected within a larger building, the faster they can mobilize and potentially save lives. Many buildings do have fire alarms in the halls and stairwells and smoke alarms in the units, but these tend to be monitored by an alarm company. There are states, however, that do require monitored alarms as they have been known to keep the damage to a minimum and injuries low.
Annual Fire System Inspection
In order to keep the fire alarm systems working properly, the property manager and/or owner of the building should schedule an annual fire alarm inspection of the entire system each year. There are states that require this, and you can check the regulations for your state, but if you live in an area where this is not a requirement, then approach your building manager or owner, or the other tenants and ask for this to be performed every year.
Also, for the most part, it is up to the tenant to check their smoke alarms on a regular basis. You can ask that the professionals add this to their inspection of the system, or pick a time every year where you will remember to check your smoke alarm in your apartment.
Fire Escape Plan
You may already have a fire escape plan for your family or yourself to get out of your apartment and building, but it is a good idea to have a building-wide plan. Talk to your neighbors and building manager about holding a meeting to discuss a fire escape plan for the building itself. New residents might not be as familiar with the layout there and having a building-wide escape plan will help with any panic as tenants will know what to do in the event of a fire.
Share6 November 2017
Hi everyone. I’m Eddie. Welcome to my blog. I would like to talk to you about security systems for homes and businesses. Although crime has steadily decreased over the years, it is still a wise choice to protect yourself from intruders. If someone enters your home or business, they could wreak havoc on your livelihood and sense of security. I will use this site to explore all of the ways you can secure your building and property. I will cover both basic and advanced systems that automatically monitor the area. Please follow along on my site to learn more about security systems. Thanks.
