Because of the close proximity of other flats, renters have an increased risk for the risks of a fire outbreak. In addition to purchasing a renter’s insurance policy to protect your belongings, it is crucial that you physically and mentally get ready for the event of a fire in your unit or a a neighbor’s. Familiarizing yourself with your environment in advance can save your life.
Evacuation Plan
The home manager or leasing representative of your apartment complex should offer you a written diagram of the community that suggests the fire evacuation plan. You can usually find it displayed in common areas of the building, also. The plan should clearly identify stairwells to utilize in lieu of elevators and the most direct route to the building’s emergency exits. An apartment’s emergency exits should have illuminated signs, making them easy to identify. Since it may vary from your normal point of ingress and egress, sometimes practicing the evacuation route will help make it automatic, should you need it.
Windows, Fire Escapes and Stairwells
If your flat is situated higher than the ground floor of a building, you need to plan how you will escape in the event of a fire. The Apartment Guide recommends renters ensure they have a big enough window to escape out of all sleeping quarters. Windows should function and work easily enough for one person to start alone. When a fire escape is present, the property manager or leasing broker could affirm the last date of service to guarantee performance and notify you of the type of ladder mechanism it uses. Different types of ladders operate in various ways; for instance, counter weight ladders get lowered down, folding ladders get cranked up. Knowing the gap ahead of time can remove confusion in a stressful circumstance. Fire exit stairwells should have fireproof doors which self-close and offer an unobstructed route outside.
Fire Security Characteristics
Municipal building codes demand apartments to have fire extinguishers, smoke sensor alarms and, in some cases, fire department hoses along with a practical sprinkler system in the flat units and surrounding common areas. As stated by the American Red Cross, buildings with an automatic sprinkler system offer ideal fire protection because it often extinguishes a fire before the fire department arrives. The flat should have fire extinguishers”billed” on an annual basis to guarantee functionality. Typically, a tag on the extinguisher’s exterior indicates when the property had the last service performed.