As the owner of an apartment complex, you know that one of your main concerns is to provide a safe environment for your residents. You have all the units equipped with smoke alarms and regular fire drills are conducted. But do you know what else is required by law in order to protect your residents? Do you understand how much time firefighters require to get your residents out of their units in a fire emergency? This article will explain how you can protect your residents and the property.
Responsibility of Safe Environment
All residential apartment communities have a responsibility to their tenants to provide a safe environment. Fire is one of the most dangerous threats, especially when it takes place inside an apartment. The main function of professional firefighters is to save human lives, but they will do everything to save the property as well. The more time it takes them to get inside of the apartment and rescue people, the more damage is done to both life and property.
Life Safety Code Requirement
According to NFPA 101 Life Safety Code (LSC) requirements, all apartments should be separated by one-hour fire-resistant walls and doors. In order to meet the requirements, you should be sure that your site plan contains an adequate number of fire-rated walls and doors between units. For the purpose of evaluations, the NFPA has a special Fire Protection Engineering department which can measure these parameters using a special testing device called a Carderock Apparatus. The Carderock Apparatus is used to measure the thickness of the material which is then compared to an NFPA rating table, which will determine if your doors are adequate or not for this purpose.
Accessibility of Units During Fire Emergencies
Another important requirement in order to prevent injuries and loss of property is how accessible units are during fire emergencies. The NFPA recommends that units should be at least 7 feet tall with a minimum width of 3 feet 6 inches. There must be access through corridors or courts at both ends leading directly outside or capable of being opened inward without the use of a key or any special tools. Additionally, there should be no locked gates blocking egress from stairways, balconies, walkways, or any other means of escape intended for emergency use.
Fire Department Access
The main purpose of fire department access is to get firefighters inside the property in case of an emergency. Firefighters need to enter at least two points of the building in every unit. All doors leading outside should be marked with proper signage and must lead directly to safe paths of travel. Additionally, there should be no locked gates blocking egress from stairways, balconies, walkways, or any other means of escape intended for emergency use.
Fire Extinguishers
Providing fire extinguishers can help you protect your residents when a minor fire breaks out. The LSC requires two UL-listed portable fire extinguishers on each floor which are not protected by an automatic sprinkler system in common areas near the main exit(s). One should be a multi-purpose dry chemical type which is acceptable to the local authority having jurisdiction. The second extinguisher may also be of the multi-purpose dry chemical type, or it may be an ABC or BC ratedHalotron fire extinguisher with a minimum 1A10BC rating.
Conclusion
As you can see, protecting your residents during fire emergencies is more complicated than it seems at first glance. Although you may not be a fire protection specialist, it is still your responsibility to provide them with a safe living environment. Please contact us if you would like to discuss any of the issues mentioned in this article further. For more information on fire safety equipment, you can visit Capital Solutions.