High-Rise Life Safety for

1
High-Rise Life Safety for Property Managers
2
Presentation Outline

• Legal Liability
• Fire Safety Director
• Fire Plan
• Fire Wardens
• Fire Brigade
• Fire Evacuation Drills
• Life Safety System Maintenance
• High-Rise Fire Lessons Learned

3
Legal Liability

• Premises owner has a duty to protect tenants and
  visitors from harm.
• Premises owner may hire property management, and
  security companies to fulfill this requirement.
• Those firms must provide tenants with a life
  safety program approved by local fire code
  including training and drills.

4
Fire Safety Director

• Organize building employees and tenants into a
  trained fire brigade.
• Distribute written copies of applicable parts of
  the fire plan to all tenants.
• Maintain written record of fire system
  maintenance, checks and fire drills.
  Dallas Fire Code

5
Fire Plan

• Emergency Procedures
• Evacuation Procedures
• Training Program
• Floor Plans
• Fire Drills
• Fire Wardens
• Disabled Persons List

6
Fire Warden

• Fire Warden designated for each floor
• Familiar with Fire Plan
• Ensure Emergency Team is trained
• Direct evacuation of floor
• Notify Fire Safety Director of persons who
  require assistance.

7
Fire Brigade

• Key building personnel are organized into a
  trained Fire Brigade that may include
  engineering, security and management.
• Fire Brigade responds to fire location to report
  on situation, assist with evacuation and
  extinguish fire if possible.
  Dallas Fire Code
  

8
Fire Drills

• Emergency relocation drills shall be held with
  sufficient frequency to familiarize building
  occupants with drill procedure.
• Written records of drills are maintained on
  premises for inspection by fire dept.
• Written critique of fire drill is distributed to
  drill participants.
  NFPA 101

9
Life Safety Systems

• Fire alarm system tested annually.
• Emergency generators and emergency lights tested
  at 30-day interval.
• Stairwell egress, intercoms, lighting, exit
  signage tested at 30-day intervals.
• Written record of testing is maintained on
  premises for inspection by fire department.
  NFPA 101

10
Cook County Fire
11
Cook County Fire

• Fire Brigade not trained
• Delayed Call to Fire Department
• Stairwell Doors Locked
• P/A Announcement Problems
• Massey Fire Plan locked in Security Desk
• Security Officer not licensed
• 6 Dead

12
One Meridian Plaza
13
One Meridian Plaza

• Fire Brigade not trained
• Delayed Call to Fire Department
• Stairwell Doors Locked
• Fire Plan Inadequate
• 3 Dead
• 4 Billion Dollars in Civil Damage Claims

14
First Interstate Bank
15
First Interstate Bank

• Fire Brigade not trained
• Delayed Call to Fire Department
• Sprinkler System disabled
• Fire Pumps shut down
• Fire Plan Inadequate
• 1 Dead (Building Engineer)

16
Lessons Learned

• Fire Brigade Training (Security Engineers)
• Tenant Life Safety Training
• Test Fire Life Safety Systems Monthly
• Practice P/A Announcements
• Fire Drills on every floor
• Fire Department Liaison
• Approved Fire Plan