F80 second study
FIRE SAFETY COORDINATOR - answer RENEWAL EVERY THREE YEARS
Approved devices, equipment and systems or combinations
of systems used to deter a fire, activate an alarm, extinguish or control a fire, control
or manage smoke and products of a fire or any combination thereof, including fire
extinguishing systems, fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems and standpipe systems. -
answer Fire Protection System -
Location: Homeless shelter in Paris, Texas
Date: 2009 - answer A 42 bed shelter housing 28 men caught fire due to ignition of a
table inside the
shelter that was piled high with donated clothing. More than 20 residents evacuated
the shelter as a result of smoke and flames after several men attempted to extinguish
the flames with pans of water. There was a heavy smoke condition in the shelter,
making it difficult to see and even more difficult to evacuate. Five men who lived on
the second floor were killed in the blaze. An investigation of the fire determined that
the building had no sprinkler system, fire alarms or smoke detectors. Records
indicated that the shelter hadn't been inspected for at least five years, even though
inspections were required on an annual basis. The shelter was used as a drop-off
point for paper products, rags, clothing, furniture and other material.
Lessons Learned: - answerPeriodic Fire Department inspections
should be conducted as required
Excess debris and improper storage is
a fire hazard
Lack of fire prevention devices in the
shelter increases the probability of
fatal fires
Location: Homeless shelter in Bronx, NY
Date: December 7, 2012 and December 9, 2012 - answerAt this Bronx, NY shelter,
improperly stored mattresses were ignited in two separate
incidents only two days apart. The first incident occurred when a child was playing
with a match, and set a mattress on fire on the second floor of the building. This was
a small fire that resulted in no injuries and was quickly extinguished. The second fire
started when another child was playing with matches who also ignited a mattress that
had been stored in the building's lobby. Smoke and flames from the resulting fire
spread into the stairwell and the upper floor hallways. There were no building wide
alarms or hallway smoke detectors in the building to notify occupants of the fire. Two
building occupants tried to use portable fire extinguishers to extinguish the fire but
found them empty and inoperable. With the smoke and flames having filled the
,hallways, many occupants tried to escape by using the fire escapes. However,
occupants reported that some of the fire escapes were broken, having missing steps
and jammed ladders. The fire resulted in four adults and two children being seriously
injured. It was determined that the mattresses that were involved in these fires had
not been properly removed from the building. Instead, they were stacked in the lobby
and propped against walls in common areas of the building. It was also determined
that the fire escapes were not in good working order, many of the fire extinguishers
were not operable, and that the building did not have a fire alarm or sprinkler system.
All of these factors contributed to the devastation that resulted from this fire.
Lessons Learned: - answerExcess debris and improper storage presents a fire hazard
Lack of a building wide fire alarm system will cause significant delays in
implementing a building evacuation
Fire escapes must be inspected to ensure that they are in working order
Fire extinguishers must be visually inspected monthly to ensure that they are
in working order
Homeless shelter in New York, NY
Date: August 28, 2012 - answerA homeless shelter in New York City caught fire and
required complete evacuation.
The fire started when a lit cigarette left unattended by a tenant ignited a mattress on
the fourth floor. The fire was quickly extinguished by the building's sprinkler system.
One resident suffered from and was treated for smoke inhalation. Fortunately, the
fire was confined to a single apartment. The shelter had recently been fined more
than $45,000 by the Department of Buildings for safety violations, including a
violation for failure to provide sprinkler protection. Records show that the building
had seven active building violations at the time of the fire.
Lessons Learned: - answerPeriodic Fire Department inspections should be conducted
Ignition sources, such as lit cigarettes, should not be left unattended
Fire safety education may be beneficial to homeless shelter residents
Fire Guards - answerBuildings or portions of buildings occupied or operated to be
occupied by homeless
persons shall be continuously patrolled by a person holding a certificate of fitness as
fire guard. Every area of the building shall be patrolled at least once every hour.
Fire guards are responsible for the safety of all building occupants and employees by
eliminating fire hazards and assisting in the evacuation of clients in case of a fire
emergency. Generally, fire guards are responsible for making sure that fire safety
regulations are being complied with in the shelter. They should be knowledgeable of
the location and operation of all fire alarm systems in the shelter and should check
their condition during their patrols. Fire guards must maintain records of their
patrols.
Fire guards must patrol the entire homeless shelter at least once an hour. Some
shelters assign a fire guard to patrol each floor. For example, if there are four floors in
a shelter, depending upon the floor area of each floor, there may be four fire guards on
, duty at all times, one patrolling each floor. During their patrol they must look for
signs of fire and investigate any signs of smoke in the shelter. They must also be on
the alert for any fire safety violations and upon discovery, report them immediately to
the Coordinator of Fire Safety & Alarm Systems in Homeless Shelters. In many cases,
the fire guard will be capable of correcting the fire safety violation during the course of
conducting his/her fire guard duties. Ultimately, the Coordinator of Fire Safety &
Alarm Systems in Homeless Shelters must ensure that the violation is corrected.
Emergency Preparedness Plan - answerThe Fire Code requires that homeless shelters
have an updated emergency
preparedness plan (also known as a Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan). Emergency
preparedness plans serve to assure that, in the event of a fire or emergency there are
procedures in place that can be implemented to provide the information, guidance,
direction and assistance needed to protect the safety of building occupants, including
effecting their evacuation, relocation or sheltering in place, if necessary. The plan is a
tool intended to ensure that knowledgeable staff have been identified and designated,
and that there is a plan in place for responding to a fire or other emergency at the
premises.
The owner of any building required to have an emergency preparedness plan shall
initiate the preparation of the plan for the premises in a form prescribed by the
commissioner, and oversee its periodic review and amendment, in accordance with the
requirements set forth in the Fire Code and the Fire Department Rules.
The procedures to follow in the event of an emergency will be set forth in the
emergency preparedness plan and will vary depending on the type of occupancy, the
height of the building and other requirements as may be set forth in the Fire Code or
the rules. It is important that building owners refer to the most recent editions of the
Fire Code and rules when creating or amending the emergency preparedness plan and
determining the response to emergencies and the level of staffing that is required for
their particular building or occupancy.
Coordinators of Fire Safety & Alarm Systems in Homeless Shelters must be
knowledgeable about the emergency preparedness plan for the shelter. They should
be provided with an orientation from the building owner or other on-site personnel
familiar with and responsible for the emergency preparedness plan before
Emergency Preparedness Plan Content - answerof the information included in the
emergency preparedness plan. The content of the
emergency preparedness plan for a homeless shelter should include, but is not
necessarily limited to, the following:
1. The designation of the Coordinator of Fire Safety & Alarm Systems in
Homeless Shelters, by name, certificate number and position at the premises,
and other FEP staff, by name and/or position at the premises, and their
certificate of fitness numbers
2. The name and address of the shelter, the floors that are normally occupied,
the approximate number of employees, and the hours of operation
3. A site plan, floor plan, and riser diagram of the shelter
4. A building information card for high-rise buildings and occupancies