Yesterday around dinner time, the fire alarm in my apartment building sounded. The residents gathered out front of the building and waited for the fire department to show up. Our resident manager was also there. The resident manager indicated that we were to await a response from the fire department. Discussion among the residents was that the alarm was likely set off by someone cooking dinner and that there wasn’t really a fire.
Between five and then minutes after the alarm started, it stopped of its own accord. About ten minutes after the alarm sounded, we heard sirens approaching and assumed they were coming to our building. Much to our chagrin, they passed right on by on the major street one block away. We waited for another five to ten minutes and, after no fire trucks showed up, we simply re-entered the building and I went about the rest of my evening. No fire trucks ever did come.
I called my property manager today for further information but have not yet heard a reply. I also called the fire department for information. They informed me that, contrary to my assumption, there is no requirement for an apartment building to be connected to a monitoring company. The representative told me that someone on-site should have called the fire department to inform them that alarm was sounding.
What is troubling is that my resident manager was, like us, under the impression that the fire department should simply, by whatever magic mechanism makes it happen, show up when the alarm goes off. I have to wonder how many thousands and thousands of apartment residents in this city are also under that same assumption. Had there actually been a fire in my building, it might have been ten to twenty minutes before someone decided we had better call the fire department. Obviously, the results could be devastating.
I put a note under everyone’s door today to inform them of what I had found out and that the next time it sounds, it is everyone’s responsibility to call the fire dept.
If you live in a multi-family building, make sure you know what to do if your fire alarm sounds.
Living in an apartment building is a good reason to have a box or filing cabinet will all of your important papers that you just have to have with you, and not stored off-site.
That way, in the case of a fire, it is relatively easy to grab that one box if you really want to save the paperwork, forget about it knowing it will all collectively burn up, or you’ll die trying to get it out.
Whether or not an alarm system is locally sounding or central station connected is up to your municipality, or the “Authority Having Jurisdiction” as defined in NFPA codes.
It is also possible that the system should be monitored by a central station, but if nobody has paid the bill, if changes by the phone company have been enacted regarding area code, these and other conditions could preclude communication.
Alarm systems are typically tested at time of installation, when accepted by the AHJ. NFPA 72 has a long list of requirements regarding periodic testing of detection devices, signalling equipment, and mainframe equipment, but they are only as good as the regulations enacted which require their enforcement.
Congratulations to you and your neighbors for getting out, and for your interest in promoting public safety. Make sure that the people at the FD are aware of what went on, as we sometimes don’t find out until it’s too late.
Duckster, DO NOT DO THIS. If there’s a fire alarm, GET OUT. If those documents are that important, get a fireproof safe and put them in that. Where fire is concerned, seconds cost lives.
I informed the information officer at the FD of the happenings when I called them for info. I also spoke with the property manager yesterday and he informed me that our building is not monitored as it is quite costly. I can understand that, since there are only 11 suites in the building, it could be pricey for just those few of us to bear the cost.
I’ve also sent an e-mail to a couple of the local television channels explaining my experience and what I’ve found out. Based on info I’ve garnered in speaking with friends, most everyone thinks that all apartment buildings are monitored. I figure that it is a worthy “public interest” piece to inform our city’s apartment residents that they shouldn’t count on monitoring and, as the info officer at the FD stated, even if it is known to be a monitored building, people on-site should still call 911 if the alarm sounds.
And make sure you get replacement value of your property.
Loss of use coverage is also very important. That way, if you have to be out of your home, the insurance will cover the costs of a temporary home.
When I had a fire in my condo building last year, I only ended up being out the deductible on my insurance - they covered everything else - all of the cleaning required due to smoke and soot, anything that had to be replaced, temporary housing, a hotel until they found me temporary housing, additional meal expenses, additional cell phone expenses, and on and on.
Also make sure you are adequately covered in terms of total dollar amount, especially if you’re in a condo, as you’ll end up being responsible for a lot more (like applicances, cabinets, etc.) than if you’re in an apartment. The idiots who started the fire were underinsured (they had around $15,000 in coverage when they should have had $75,000+), and it caused delays for everyone.
Obviously, I don’t know the construction details, but will offer that the property manager is full of it regarding cost. Most of the big companies will monitor a single premises (11 suites are considered to be one premises if physically connected) for approximately $30 per month, or $33 per tenant, annualized.
Smaller companies can reduce those rates by almost 50%.