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BE A FIRE SAFE NEIGHBOR
APARTMENT AND CONDOMINIUM FIRE SAFETY TIPS
FROM THE SACRAMENTO METROPOLITAN FIRE DISTRICT
Responsibility for the firesafety of your building lies with each and
every resident. That's why it is so important that you plan together to
keep your building as firesafe as possible and learn the right thing to do
should fire break out. The first place to start is to learn the facts.
-Smoking is the #1 cause of all fatal apartment fires. And, nearly a
third of them are caused by someone smoking in bed.
-Most residential fires occur at night when condos and apartments are most
heavily populated.
Be Prepared! Plan Ahead for Everyone's
Safety!
Meet with your landlord or building manager to devise firesafety plans for
your building. As part of your group planning, explore your building. Know
every possible exit, including exits from laundry, storage, and recreation
rooms. If hallways become smoky in a fire, your memory can help you find a
way out. Remember never to use elevators in a fire. Keep exit and
stairwell doors closed at all times, but not locked. And, keep exits clear
of debris and storage.
Focus on these four key elements in your firesafety plan: prevention,
detection, escape planning and practice, and fire department notification.
Prevention
An ounce of prevention can save your life. Prevention is your best
insurance against fire. Take these simple fire safety precautions in your
own unit to prevent fire from starting.
-Be careful with smoking materials. Keep large ashtrays for smokers and
never smoke in bed!
-Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children. Store matches and
lighters in a locked cabinet up high out of the reach of children.
-Check regularly for electrical hazards, such as worn electrical cords,
overloaded extension cords and outlets, and broken appliances.
-Don't store flammable liquids in your home, car, or anywhere else inside
your building.
-Don't use balconies, porches, fire escapes or furnace rooms for storage.
Fires starting in these areas can burn undetected.
Detection
Make sure the fire detection system works! If fire strikes smoke detectors
and fire alarms alert you to a fire right away, so you can get out of the
building safely. Be sure your building has a working fire alarm system and
learn to recognize the sound of the alarm. Know where the alarms are
located in your building and how to operate them in an emergency.
Install smoke detectors on every floor of your own unit. Be sure to
place detectors on the ceiling near bedroom areas. This way, if a fire
starts while your are asleep, detectors will wake you before it's too
late.
If you notice that smoke detectors in your own unit or in public
hallways are beeping, be sure to have their batteries changed or
electrical systems checked. Replace dead batteries immediately.
Escape Planning and Practice
In a fire, there is no time to stop and think. You need to know in advance
the two quickest safe ways out of your unit and your building. That is why
it is critical that you make and practice escape plans.
Ask your fire department representative to help you plan a good
evacuation procedure. Draw up floor plans for each floor with exits
clearly marked. Ask your building manager to post the floor plans in
high-traffic areas, such as near elevators, exit doors, and foyers. Make a
point to review the floor plans now - because in a fire, smoky conditions
and urgency can make this impossible.
Once you've mapped out evacuation procedures, decide on a meeting place
outdoors. Go there as soon as you exit the building and stay there. This
way, you can keep track of who is out and who may be trapped inside. If
you think someone is trapped, tell the fire department - do not go back
into the building yourself.
PRACTICE! Rehearse your escape plans as a group. Appoint a floor
captain and hold a fire drill to make sure that everyone knows the rights
thing to do when the alarm sounds.
Fire Department Notification
With your fire department representative, decide how and when to notify
the fire department in an emergency and how to warn your neighbors. As a
general rule, get out of the building, and then call the fire department
from a safe place. When you call, be ready to provide your locations and
any other information about the fire.
What To Do If Fire Strikes
-Don't rush out of your apartment into the hallway. First, feel the door.
If it is hot, use another way out. If the door is cool, leave by the
nearest exit.
-If an announcement can be heard over your building's public address
system, listen carefully and follow directions.
-Never use elevators in a fire! Use the stairs. Close all doors behind you
to slow fire spread.
-If your planned escape route becomes smoky, get down on your hands and
knees and crawl. Smoke rises, so the cleanest air is near the floor.
-Never go back into the building. Go directly to your planned meeting
place and stay there. If you think someone is trapped inside, notify the
fire department.
-If you can't escape your apartment, stuff wet towel, sheets, or clothes
around the door and vents to keep smoke out. -Call the fire department and
tell them where you are. If no smoke is coming into the room you are in,
open a window slightly both at the top and the bottom. Stay low and wave a
bright cloth, towel, or sheet out the window to signal your location.
Remember, by accepting responsibility to keep your apartment or condo fire safe, you are not only protecting yourself, but your neighbors as
well. A little bit of planning and awareness can make the difference
between safety and disaster… for everyone!
For further information feel free to
contact the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District,
Community Services Division at 916-566-4000.
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