PREPLANNING FOR APARTMENT COMPLEX RESPONSE

PREPLANNING FOR APARTMENT COMPLEX RESPONSE

It is 9:45 p.m. at Station 8, and the evening has been relatively quiet, with only a false alarm and a car fire right after shift change. Four firefighters are seated at the kitchen table; their attention is focused on the television, where Clint Eastwood is closing in on the bad guys, when the alarm bell rings. “Never fails,” says the pump driver, a 17-year veteran. “Every time there’s a good movie on …”

He is interrupted by the audible tone and the voice of the dispatcher. “Engine 8, Ladder 12. 11 Hemlock Drive, the Hemlock Apartments, for an alarm activation.”

As the crew climbs aboard the engine, the lieutenant turns to the rookie, smiles, and says, “See, when you’ve been on the job as long as Howard has, you can feel them coming through the wires.”

En route, the lieutenant asks the driver if he knows which building is #11.

“1 know it’s on the left,” the driver replies, “but I’m not sure which building.”

The lieutenant is not sure himself— the buildings in that complex aren’t numbered in sequence and are set so far back from the road that the addresses are unreadable.

“Try the fourth driveway,” the lieutenant says. Reaching the building, they discover they are at #9, and they can hear the audible alarm coming from the building across the lawn. The occupants are standing outside. As the engine backs down the driveway, the lieutenant thinks, “Boy, do we look dumb.”

On the scene at last, he notifies Eire Alarm that there is no visible problem and takes his crew in to investigate. The door is locked —and the complex owners never did give the department a key —so the lieutenant is forced to borrow a tenant’s key to gain entry.

Checking the ground floor, they find that water from a leaking pipe has triggered a smoke detector. The officer informs Fire Alarm just as Ladder 12 arrives.

Unable to shut off the leaking pipe without cutting the water supply to all 12 second-floor apartments, the lieutenant decides to isolate the trouble zone, reset the alarm system, and notify building management of the problem. The alarm panel, however, is in the utility room, and none of the tenants have a key. The custodians long since have gone home, and the only number Fire Alarm has on file is that of the rental office, which is closed.

“There’s an out-of-state number here,” one of the occupants says, bringing the lieutenant a copy of her rental agreement. He relays it to FireAlarm; five minutes later Fire Alarm calls back.

“We’ve located the management, Engine 8,” announces the dispatcher. “They’ll have someone there in 30 minutes. Also, be advised several companies are at a structure fire, and we have only two engines and a ladder in service at this time.”

Upon hearing this, the lieutenant decides that he can’t wait around for the maintenance man. “Ladder 12,” he radios, “send in your forcible entry team.”

“Sorry it took us so long to get to you,” the ladder captain says when he arrives with his crew. “We couldn’t get anywhere near the building with all those cars parked in the driveway. And that’s with our 85-foot stick. I don’t know how that new aerial tower is going to get in here.”

At last, the alarm system reset, Engine 8 clears. “Boy, it’s lucky we didn’t have a real fire here,” the lieutenant tells his driver.

FOUR-STEP PLAN

In Manchester, New Hampshire, a construction boom lasting two decades added some 30 large apartment and condominium complexes to the city. Overworked housing code enforcers often were too busy to notice the little lapses in detail—such as nonsequential addressing—that are crucial to a swift fire department response. Fire companies dispatched to these complexes were spending 45 minutes to an hour at the scene on routine calls —sprinkler system problems. alarms triggered by faulty smoke detectors, and the like.

Our department found that by setting up a comprehensive plan to collect information about these complexes in advance and making it readily available on the apparatus, we were able to streamline responses and reduce on-scene time by 67 percent, to an average of 10 to 15 minutes per call. Our information covers four categories: getting there, building access and locating the problem, securing fire alarm and sprinkler systems, and working with management.

Getting there. This isn’t always as easy as it sounds. In multibuilding complexes, buildings often are laid out in confusing patterns, address numbers can be indecipherable from the road, and some buildings even bear different addresses on different sides. Numbering systems might make little sense, with no adherence to proper sequence.

We began by visiting each complex and preparing an accurate map, marking the locations of each building and hydrant. Important details —locations of sprinkler and standpipe connections, key vaults, annunciator and fire alarm panels—were noted. Conditions, such as truss construction, that could affect firefighting operations were indicated. Maps of ever}’ complex in a company’s response area were indexed and stored in a looseleaf binder aboard the apparatus. Copies are kept with the station’s training materials and are reviewed periodically.

Working with management encompasses the three other categories and begins when mapping the complex. Keep a record of any problems you discover, then visit the manager in person to discuss them. Emphasize the need for the fire department to quickly locate buildings in an emergency and the amount of damage that could result from fire spread if response is unnecessarily hindered. The majority of building managers simply have not given any thought to the items you mention, and most will be happy to cooperate.

Ask them to strictly enforce the “No Parking” rule in fire lanes and to number each building entryway and the street side of the buildings whose entrances do not face the road with block numerals six to eight inches tall. The system has to work under adverse conditions: You should be able to read the addresses during a rainstorm in the middle of the night.

In this apartment complex, the building addresses are unreadable from the street, the addresses don't run in order, and since being built the complex was sold and split under three different owners. Your preplan map is invaluable for locating the correct building under emergency conditions.

(Photos by John C. Burkush.)

In this apartment complex, the building numbers follow a logical sequence and the numbers are visible Irom the road.Building management is most helpful in assisting fire department efforts to document vital building and reference information carried on responding apparatus. Departments should take the opportunity to work with building management to enhance not only life safety but the department's public image as well.

Building access and locating the problem. Again you need help from the complex’s management. The most efficient way to assure rapid entry to a locked building is to store the keys in a vault at the main entrance. These boxes provide maximum key security and ensure that keys always will be available regardless of which company responds. The cost of installing the vaults will be offset by eliminating forcible entry damage that occurs during nonfire responses. In addition, the fire department will be relieved of any liability damages that could result if building keys on the apparatus arelost or stolen.

bach apparatus in Manchester is equipped with a key that opens all of the city’s vaults; the keys are protected by an alarm that sounds whenever the key is removed from its holder. In departments where vehicles are left unattended for long periods, or where additional security is desired, the vault key can be mounted in a locking holder that is activated only by a radio signal from the dispatch center.

One note of caution: If a vault key is lost or stolen from the apparatus, the integrity of the entire system is at risk, livery key vault lock in the community will have to be replaced to ensure security.

After you have gained access to the building, you can save valuable time locating the problem by using the annunciator panel in the foyer. Become familiar with the panel in a nonemergency situation. Compare the panels of various buildings to ensure that their designation system is uniform. We have had panels in neighboring buildings refer to the same area as the “ground floor,” the “first floor,” and even the “basement.” Learn how each building’s panel refers to building sections; doing this will eliminate time-wasting confusion during an incident.

Securing fire alarm and sprinkler systems. Illis includes notifying the management of any problems that exist. The main alarm panel sometimes is located next to the annunciator, although in most Manchester complexes it is installed in an interior utility room for security. In this case, a key to the utility room should be kept in the key vault, and alarm panel keys should be color-coded for easy identification. Building maintenance and security personnel should be discouraged from leaving a key in the panel lock or leaving the panel door unlocked for their own convenience. We have had instances where building occupants, annoyed by frequent alarms, attempted to reset the systems. These actions can delay fire department response and advance fire spread.

Working with management. This involves making arrangements so that management can be reached around the clock. We prepared a list of the contacts’ names and phone numbers and keep it on the apparatus—in the same binder that holds the maps of the complexes. Each information sheet is kept next to the relevant map; copies are kept on file at the dispatch center. Lists should be updated periodically. Since private contractors often service alarm and sprinkler systems in Manchester’s multibuilding complexes, their names and phone numbers also are listed.

We also note on the information sheet any hazardous materials, chemicals, or other dangerous substances that might be stored on the premises. While these substances seldom are kept in residential buildings, they generally are found in the forms of paint, gasoline, etc. stored in the rental office or maintenance building.

Maintaining current files facilitates reporting and recordkeeping. Most of the names, addresses, and phone numbers you need for alarm reports already will be on file.

Preplanning has saved our company time and resources that now are available for other emergencies that may arise in Manchester. There are other benefits, too. The data on file instantly familiarize reassigned personnel with the complexes in their new district. Working with building management to increase fire safety helps to educate them about the fire department’s role and enhances the department’s public image. Most significant is that prechecking housing developments to determine the types of internal fire protection systems present, the construction details, and ways to access the buildings has made our job easier. Now we know the answer to the question: “Can you get that (tower) ladder back there?”

No preplan is complete without attention to such concerns as rapid entry into secured areas, easy identification of vital fire protection system components and alarm panel keys (color coded, as shown), and apparatus access to all areas of the complex.

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