Fighting Fire with … Paper?
Proper planning can ensure owners don’t get burned
A fire alarm goes off at a 30-story highrise at 11:50 on a Friday night. Fire is blowing out three windows on the south side of the building above the main entrance. The race is on to save the building. Can it be done, and with little damage?
Maybe. It could depend on how well the fire department knows the building, or how well facilities management has planned.
Most owners and managers of commercial properties in the United States do not realize how important it is for them to have reliable information available for the fire department. At best, fire departments have plans that consist of a single sheet of paper. They go by different names — pre-fire plans, quick access plans, or vital building information (VBI) forms. They normally show a footprint of the building or a site plan, locations of hazardous materials, utility cut-offs, fire department connections, nearby hydrants, and emergency telephone numbers. There is usually enough information to get the incident commander through the front door, but not much more. If an incident goes to multiple alarms, the aforementioned pre-plans are woefully insufficient.
Fortunately, some ownership and management companies are now providing this important information. There exist private companies that develop pre-fire plans for use by the fire department only. The plans are paid for by the property owners, with associated costs passed through to the tenants under general operating expenses.
It is essential that the plans be created by knowledgeable fire fighting professionals who know precisely what information is needed. These companies should also be willing to train the fire departments on the design and layout of the plan at no additional cost to the property or fire department.
The information should be in a format that is firefighter friendly. such a plan should provide information on: water supply; building access; smoke removal; communications; elevator operations; general building data; alarm systems; hazardous materials; security; salvage; utilities; essential risers (HVAC, elevator, standpipe, and stairs); and detail floorplans.
Floorplans should only provide information needed by firefighters and should be color-coded for simplicity. Large blueprints are often difficult to read, especially in low-light situations, and more specifically, firefighters are not trained to use them.
These plans should provide information that is useful for any emergency, in addition to fires including helpful data in case of a gas leak, chemical spill, bomb detonation, or natural disaster. The plans should be updated regularly.
The main benefit of this type of advanced technical, fire department resource document is increased safety for both building occupants and firefighters. Losses incurred in a fire or other emergency would be vastly reduced due to the increased proficiency and effectiveness of responding firefighters.
Another benefit of this document is a lessened amount of liability because this type of plan usually exceeds code. In effect, such a document means provided a higher level of protection that is required by law.
The type of program could also be used as a marketing tool. You can show today’s safety-conscious tenant that your property has a state-of-the-art disaster preparedness plan. Many major buildings are simply not prepared for a major catastrophe, but with a fire department resource manual in place, property damage and loss of life can be greatly mitigated.
There is no way to guarantee that an emergency will never occur in a building, but a building owner or manager can prepare in case it does. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.