Your local fire department can be an invaluable resource if you ask for assistance. Most departments provide fire safety training to residents. They can work with you on an evacuation plan and assist your site with planning and running fire drills.

Emergency Action Plans
The fire department can play a critical role in your facility’s Emergency Action Plan. When you prepare or update the Emergency Action Plan, remember to discuss the plan with the fire department. You must be certain your expectations for fire department involvement are consistent with the department’s Standard Operating Procedures. Work these issues out prior to an emergency so your authority’s expectations are met. Train residents and staff on the EAP’s key points on an annual basis and keep the department advised of changes to the plan involving the fire department.

Rapid Entry Systems
If you have a Knox box® (or similar device) installed, you should inventory this box at least annually. The keys in the box may not be the same as the keys currently being used. Lists of disabled residents or other written information should be updated at this time. The Knox box® can be a timesaver in an emergency. However, if the keys in the box are not identical to the keys you use, it will be counterproductive.

FD Pre-planning
Provide your fire department officials with an accurate plot plan of the site. Stairways, exterior exits, interior corridors, electrical room, and gas shutoff locations should be shown, as well as the location of all standpipe systems. Fire alarm panels, sprinkler valves, and standpipe valves should be noted. If your location has a fire pump to boost water pressure of fire protection systems, this should be included on the plan and all connections to these systems. It is a good idea to have the fire company visit your facilities to review the construction, layout and other factors which would be important in an emergency. Many fire departments prepare a detailed fire preplan of the larger buildings in their fire district. In providing this information for your building, it is likely this information will be used to enhance the fire department’s effectiveness.

Evacuation or Protect in Place
In the past, full evacuation was considered the only response to a fire in an apartment building. Depending upon the occupancy, construction, and fixed fire protection in your building, a “Protect in Place” position may be the preferred choice. Experience in many fires has shown that residents may be safer if they seal themselves in their unit and wait out the fire within the protection of their unit until the fire department confines and extinguishes the fire. By remaining in the apartment, they can avoid fire and smoke hazards. This tactic may not apply to all apartment buildings so discuss each building separately in your authority with the fire department officials before committing to a fire plan for your building.

Working with the local fire department is a process of trading information. The fire department can provide a great deal of information for an emergency plan. At the same level, you can provide the fire department with critical information that will allow it to be more effective when an emergency strikes your location, reducing the extent of damage and injury to your residents.

Your HAI Group Risk Control Associate can provide general assistance with these programs anytime during the process, either before or after you meet with the local fire department. Your Risk Control Associate has experience with how other housing authorities have dealt with these issues.