Ask Sarah

By Sarah Duggan on March 16, 2016

The fire alarm is sounding…now what?

Fire alarm testing and procedure drills fall into the category of things that are super inconvenient and irritating – that is until the day comes that it is not a drill. Then we appreciate the fine-tuned, functioning and loud alarm for alerting us to an emergency.

This week the fire alarms went off and it was not a drill – yikes! The issue turned out to be minor and easily resolved; however, this incident prompted the question of what happens if there is a real fire?

If the fire alarms sound and you are on the first floor, find the nearest exit and move outside. If, at the time of the alarm, you are in your apartment and it is located on the second, third, fourth or fifth floor, remain in your apartment with the door shut. Should a fire occur in your apartment, move to an exit and activate the alarm system by using the pull station, which is located at each exit door.

The building systems have been designed to avoid “really bad” fires. There is no way to determine when there will be an actual emergency or where it might occur. The Fire Department will decide who to evacuate, the sequence it is to occur, how to contain and fight the fire.

The most important step in a fire is activating the alarm system. The Fire Department will respond and they are fully trained to deal with all aspects of a fire situation, including evacuation. They are the only ones that can activate and use elevators during the fire and they have the necessary equipment for evacuation. Of course, our dedicated team of maintenance professionals will also respond to assist.

See you next week and thanks for stopping by!