Page 8 - CooperatorNews New Jersey Expo 2021

8 COOPERATORNEWS NEW JERSEY —EXPO 2021 NJ.COOPERATORNEWS.COM TRENDS Fire Safety Plans Have a Strategy Before You Need It BY A. J. SIDRANSKY When a crisis hits a multifamily com- munity—or any other organization—the ings; commercial and industrial buildings New Jersey, and a member of the Fire Safety difference between a good outcome and a should have them as well, as should single- disastrous one is often a matter of simple family homes. preparedness. Residential communities in particular need to have a plan in case of an emergency, whether that takes the form of the president of New York Fire Safety, a con- a fire or some other immediate crisis, such sulting firm that provides FEPGs to co-ops kitchens, garages, and any other areas of their as a severe storm or even a public health and condominiums, as well as other types homes where fires may start. Homeowners emergency. Some states and municipalities of properties in the tristate area. According should look for extinguishers with an “ABC” require multifamily buildings and associa- tions to draft emergency contingency plans map with ‘EXIT’ marked on it in bright red; of fire—electrical, chemical, or otherwise. A as a matter of law, and some don’t—but in a proper guide does map out hallways, stairs, multi-purpose dry chemical Class ABC fire any event, a clear, concise, and well-thought- out plan is a must-have for the safety of your formation about what fire protection systems general home use, and having more than one ably the most important thing to plan for in community. What Is a Fire Safety Plan? We’ve all seen public service announce- ments stressing the need to have an evacu- ation plan in case of fire, whether at home, on fires themselves,” Bullock says. “The other eas of their buildings. Managing agents and school, or work. The industry term for an of- ficial fire safety plan is a Fire Emergency Pre- paredness Guide (FEPG). Depending where deal with your building systems, exit, stairs, ilies to rehearse their own escape plan, plot- you live, FEPG requirements for multifamily etc. and how and what to do in the event of ting at least two exits from each part of their buildings can originate with the state or lo- cal government, or neither—in which case to do’ instructions, like: take your keys and the building where the family can meet to be it’s incumbent on boards and managers to close the door, don’t use elevators, and so sure everyone got out safely. draft, maintain, and update as needed their forth. It also contains sections on non-fire own FEPG. Whether a building is a co-op, emergencies, like a hurricane or a steam or should also be aware of any residents with condo, or rental is irrelevant when it comes gas leak.” to the need for a fire emergency plan. Indeed, FEPGs aren’t just for big residential build- More on FEPGs James Bullock is a former firefighter and should encourage shareholders and unit to him, an FEPG is more than just a hallway rating, which means it is good for any type and points of egress, but it also gives you in- are installed in your building, and gives di- rections for action in both fire and non-fire emergencies. “These plans contain perhaps three pages prominently in the halls and common ar- 30 pages or so deal with information on fire board members should periodically remind safety. There are informational sections that residents of the postings and encourage fam- a fire emergency. Basically it contains ‘what residence and choosing a safe place outside According to Dan DeTrolio, assistant VP with physical disabilities involving decreased of Hartz Mountain Industries in Secaucus, Commission, in addition to drafting and dis- tributing a copy of the community’s FEPG to all residents, HOA boards and management owners to install fire extinguishers in their extinguisher is considered the best choice for in any home is recommended. High- and mid-rise co-ops and condos should also have an escape route posted Building managers and associations special needs, such as the elderly, or those mobility, sight, or hearing, or any other con- dition that could limit a person’s ability to take quick action necessary to escape during a fire emergency. Depending on what physi- cal limitations these residents may have, they may require help from a caretaker, neighbor, or rescue personnel to escape the fire. In- volve a building manager and neighbors in the escape plan for those residents. If asso- ciations are unsure about creating an escape plan, contact your local fire department; they can help you and point out where detectors should be located. In addition, you can also ask emergency personnel to keep a list of special needs residents on file. Inside, residents should post the fire de- partment number on every telephone. For young children, teach them how to dial “0” for the operator and how to tell a responder that the house is on fire. Teach children not to hide from fire under a bed or in a closet. Who Creates the Plan? “As a fire safety professional, I certainly recommend having a plan,” says Bullock. “It’s critical for residents to know what to do in case of a fire.” Agreed—but who exactly should draw up the FEPG for your HOA? Technically, the board or manager could draft it, but according to Bullock, “Anyone can do it, but it’s clearly better to work with a professional. I have completed over 3,000 of these guides, and frankly, I’ve found that when done by someone else—a super, for example—85% of the plans are incomplete or incorrect. That’s not an accusation against supers—it’s just that they don’t necessarily have the same knowledge base as a fire safety professional.” Daniel Wollman, CEO of Gumley Haft, a property management company based in New York City, explains, “Fire safety is prob- multifamily buildings. While many buildings are fireproof or fire resistant, you are still re- quired to have a fire safety emergency plan.” He also concurs with Bullock on the im- portance of working with an experienced, qualified fire safety pro in mapping out your individual plan. “The fire plan is far too im- portant to be done by an amateur. There’s an excessive amount of fire safety codes, and they change continuously. You need an expert who knows and understands all those changes. The companies that perform this service know the rules and regulations, egress issues, and how to make sure a build- continued on page 27