If you live in a high-rise apartment building, it’s crucial to be very prepared for a building fire.
While every home should have a plan in place in the event of a fire, it’s crucial for high-rise apartment tenants to be very prepared for a building fire. According to the NFPA, about 62 percent of fires between 2009-2013 that were responded to by firefighters were in apartment buildings. These building fires resulted in many fatalities, injuries, and millions of dollars worth of property damage. If you live in a high-rise apartment building, read over these critical fire safety tips to know what actions to take in the event of a fire.
The Tenant’s Responsibilities
Many apartment building fire tragedies can be attributed to several factors that are out of the control of the tenant. The landlord is often at fault, for factors including the use of outdated codes and standards, reduced safety requirements to save money, ignoring standards within a code, lack of education around the application of codes and standards, and reduced enforcement for fire prevention.
However, it is the tenant’s responsibility to be aware of the dangers of fires, know basic fire safety, and have an emergency fire plan in place. For those living in a high-rise building, you should be familiar with your floor’s evacuation plan, be aware of the fire exits on your floor, and always be sure that your smoke alarms are working.
A Fire In Your Unit
If the fire occurs in your unit or on your floor, you are at a higher risk and must ask quickly, but calmly. Leave the building immediately and only bring your keys, flashlight, and cell phone if it is safe to do so. Don’t take the time to lock your door, as that will slow you down and should be unlocked for firefighters to enter anyway. Once you leave your unit, remember these steps to act CALM:
- C– Call 911 and report the fire once you are safe and outside of your unit. Be as specific as possible, listing the floor and apartment number, and if the fire has spread to other units.
- A– Alert your building manager and other tenants. If the fire is spreading and you believe everyone should evacuate the building, knock on doors to alert the tenants and instruct everyone out of the building.
- L– Listen for important information for fire officials once they arrive. If the building has a PA system, fire officials may give you instructions on how to evacuate, but if there is no PA system, the fire department will search the building.
- M– Move to safety as directed by the fire department.
Fire Prevention and Protection Services from Fireline
Whether you need smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, or an automatic sprinkler system installed at your rental property, Fireline has you covered. We have been protecting people and properties from fire damage since 1947—and our experience shows in our excellent work! We are known for our wonderful customer service, our expertise, and our reliability. For more information on how we can help your residential or commercial property, visit us online or give us a call at (800) 553-3405. For more fire safety tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.