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FireFactor presents: AXP Self-Assessment Safety Tool. Created by Brian Brauer Program Director, Illinois Fire Service Institute. Go around your house or residence- Self-Assess your building… How safe is it? How safe are you? Are you prepared for the unimaginable?. Does your residence have….
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FireFactor presents:AXP Self-Assessment Safety Tool Created by Brian Brauer Program Director, Illinois Fire Service Institute
Go around your house or residence- Self-Assess your building… How safe is it? How safe are you? Are you prepared for the unimaginable?
Does your residence have… • Smoke Detectors? • Heat, Pnuematic, or ROR (Rate-of-Rise) Detectors? • Internal Notification Systems (alarms, sirens, strobes, vocal instruction)? • Fire Extinguishers? • Installed Systems (sprinklers, foam, ANSUL)
How often is the previous inspected? • Is there a monthly visual inspection by residence leaders? • Is biannual battery Replacement conducted? • Is annual cleaning and service conducted by professionals? • Are smoke detectors replaced every 5 years?
How often do professionals inspect all the previous? • How often are the previous tested? • Are all of these actions documented?
Do you have… • Are there two ways out of EVERY sleeping room and assembly area? • Are there posted evacuation routes? • How many doors are there to the primary and secondary exits? • How many steps are there? • How many crawls?
Do you have… • Simple Fire Drills twice a year (early in the semester)? • Advanced Fire Drills annually? Fire Drills should be unannounced to occupants, but the Fire Dept., 911, and/or the alarm company should be aware of drills.
How do your brothers or neighbors respond to the fire alarm(s)? • How often does your fire alarm activate?
How do you educate your residence about… • What can/cannot be brought into the building? • What can/cannot be stored in the building? • What can/cannot be done in the building? What happens to violators? What’s done to rectify the situation?
What high risk activities are conducted in the house/building?
Smoking In common areas? In brother’s areas? In rooms? Outside? Candles? Incense? Hot Plates? In Room Cooking? Alcohol? What precautions are taken for…
How does your building mitigate dangerous items? • Dangerous items such as… • Space Heaters • Halogen Lamps • Flammable Liquids • Liquefied Gases • Fire Places • Charcoal Grills • Ashes/Coals
Does the building practice… • Extinguishing fires in the kitchen? • Operating fire extinguishers? • Determining when a fire is too big for an extinguisher? • Closing doors behind them? • What to do if they find themselves trapped in a room? Are records kept for each of these sessions?
Doors and Doorways • Are they kept clear? • Do the self-closers work? • Are the self-closers being allowed to operate? • Are there positive latching mechanisms? • Is there a single motion on the egress doors?
Stairwells • Are they isolated from other parts of the house? • Is it rated for fire stopping? • Are there fire doors installed? • Stairs should exit to the outside of the house • There should be NO storage in or below the stairs • Are the handrails tight and safe? • Are the boards of the stairs secure?
Other paths of egress… • Are they kept clear? • Are the doors along the way able to be opened with a single motion? • Is there appropriate lighting? • Is there emergency lighting? • Are there pull stations on the way out? • Are exit routes marked down low? • Is there a Plan B? Does everyone know Plan B?
General Maintenance • Are the floors and walls clear of combustibles? • Are window wells kept clear? • No combustibles should be stored around the exterior. • Trash cans/dumpsters should be at least 20 feet from the building.
Electrical • Are all the fuses and breakers appropriate for their load? • Are they labeled for quick ID at the panel? • Do any trip on a regular basis? • Are the causes of tripped breakers/blown fuses identified and corrected? • How many amps are the rooms rated for? • How many amps are being drawn per room?
How many extension cords/six packs are in use? • Are there breakers on them? • Are they under 6 ft in length? • Are heavy duty cords being used for air conditioners, washer/dryers? • Are grounding plugs used? Are the outlets in the building grounded? • Are the outlets covered and properly anchored? • Are there trip hazards from the cords? • Are electric blankets left off during the day and when not in use?
Kitchen • Are your hood/ANSUL systems compatible with your extinguishers? • Carbon dioxide won’t work on deep fryers. • Dry chemical extinguishers are not compatible with all foam systems. • Check ducts, filters, and fans monthly for grease buildup. • Don’t forget where the vents exhaust.
Boiler Rooms/Furnace Rooms • Are they in a fire resistant enclosure? • Is there a self-closing/self-latching door? • Is it free of all combustible and flammable debris? • Where are the ABC Extinguisher(s) located? • Inside? • Immediately adjacent?
Fireplaces • Are they inspected annually? • Does the flue work correctly? • Is there a screen that seats securely? • It should NOT be used for garbage disposal. • You should burn only the appropriate wood in the fireplace. • Also not the best place to dispose of Christmas trees due to the Klauser Effect
Chemical Storage • Any flammable or combustible liquid of one pint of more should be stored outside the house or in a secure steel locker. • Paints, solvents, and oily rags should be inside metal containers or lockers.
How long can each of the following be out of service? • Fire Extinguishers? • Single smoke detectors? • Single sprinkler heads? • The entire fire suppression/alarm system? • Is your housing board notified of the above out of service? • Whose job is it to refill/arrange for repairs?
Building Security • How easy can a non-resident (including boyfriends and girlfriends) enter your building during the semester? • During breaks? • During weekends? • Is there exterior lighting over all ground-level entries?
Party Safety • Take refuse out that night immediately following the party. • Dump ashtrays into an exterior metal container lined with sand or water • Do not dump in the trash! • Check all common areas or accessible areas for unescorted guests and smoldering materials. • Do not cover pull stations, detectors, or sprinklers. • Post and enforce the occupancy limit for rooms.
Phones • Are emergency numbers posted at every house and room phone? • Take time at meetings to go over emergency numbers, where they are posted, and programming them into cell phones. • Have an emergency notification tree.
How will you get this information out? • Invite a speaker from the fire department or fire prevention bureau to a weekly meeting. • Designate an undergrad ‘fire marshal’ to assist the risk manager in this area. • Have administration/boards support the risk manager or the fire mashal’s activities. • Require reporting back to you about safety items on a specific interval.
Move as soon as the alarm goes off! • Get out of bed, wake others in the same room immediately. • Dress quickly • Grab cell phone and keys if nearby.
Before opening a door… • Check the knob with the BACK of the hand. • Check door with the BACK of the hand. • Check the door edges for heat or smoke. • Listen to the hallway.
If there are signs of fire in the hallway… • Have a small plastic container in each room with the following: • Duct tape and rags to tape to the edges of the door to help keep smoke out. • White sheets to hang from the exterior window to signal the fire department. • Unlock your door. • Only open windows if no smoke enters the room. • Remove blinds et al to facilitate mounting a ladder.
If you encounter smoke after opening the door, shut it immediately. • You can’t chance that it will get better on the way out.
If there are no signs of fire in the hallway… • Close, but do NOT lock the door behind you. • Take your cell phone and keys with you. • Stay low, Stay right.
Stairwells • Check doors before entering. • Go down stairs feet first, on your behind. • Check doors before exiting. • If first floor is impassible, consider going to the basement and escaping through an egress window or door.
Meeting Place • Have a meeting place set at a place across the street or parking lot. • Make sure… • It is away from where firefighters are going to be working. • That one member is designated to communicate with the fire department. • The Risk manager/fire marshal have a house plan and master keys available for fire dept. • There are removable in/out boards by the entryway to provide a means to account for residents. • NO ONE EVER GOES BACK IN!
For more information, you can contact: Alice Kinkelaar, Urbana Fire Rescue (217) 244-4309/ amkinkelaar@ci.urbana.il.us Janet Maupin, Champaign Fire Department (217) 403-7209/ Janet.Maupin@ci.champaign.il.us Brian Brauer, Illinois Fire Service Institute (217) 333-9027/ brbrauer@uiuc.edu Clay Baier, City of Urbana Housing Inspector (217) 384-2436/ crbaier@city.urbana.il.us Michael Lambert, City of Champaign Property Maintenance Inspector (217) 403-7070/ Michael.Lambert@ci.champaign.il.us