RESIDENT FIRE AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS HANDBOOK Updated: June 2015
GLOSSARY The Purpose of the Handbook Page 3 Types of Emergencies Page 3 Overview of Emergency Equipment Pages 4-6 Fire Alarm Fire-Rated Doors and Areas Fire Alarm Pull Stations Frequently Asked Questions Smoke Detection and Fire Sprinkler Systems Pages 6-7 Smoke Detection System Fire Sprinkler System Frequently Asked Questions Fire Prevention and Safety Guidelines Pages 7-8 Fire Prevention Fire Safety Evacuation Procedures Pages 8-11 Building Evacuation Procedures Designated Evacuation Assembly Areas Evacuation Procedures in Event of Fire in the Building Frequently Asked Questions Evacuation Procedures in the Event of a Fire in the Common Areas Evacuation Procedures in the Event of a Fire Inside Your Apartment Severe Weather Page 11 Preparing Your Apartment in the Event of Severe Weather Power Failure Page 12-13 Emergency Lighting Frequently Asked Questions Emergency Preparedness Drills Pages 13-14 Other Important Information Page 15 2
Purpose of the Fire and Emergency Preparedness Handbook This handbook is intended to educate Blakeford s Independent Living Residents on fire and emergency preparedness topics so they are prepared to respond appropriately in each scenario. This handbook is issued to new Residents upon move-in and it is reviewed and updated by Blakeford management as necessary and re-issued to all Residents annually. Residents will be notified of any significant changes to procedures or information noted in this handbook in writing prior to the annual update and reissue, if necessary. Blakeford s Director of Maintenance holds a bi-annual Fire and Emergency Preparedness Training to review these topics in detail. Blakeford also holds fire and emergency preparedness drills for Residents to choose to participate in. If you have any questions regarding any of the information included in this handbook, the Maintenance staff is available to answer your questions or review this handbook with you. Types of Emergencies Emergencies may come in many forms, which include fire, electrical, and severe weather. FIRE ELECTRICAL SEVERE WEATHER We have a coordinated set of procedures and have trained Blakeford team members to handle such emergencies. You, the Resident, play an important role in making the emergency system work by understanding the emergency procedures and by cooperating in carrying them out. 3
Overview of Emergency Equipment Blakeford has a system of modern emergency equipment in your apartment and throughout the building, including: Fire Extinguishers Fire Sprinkler System Fire Horns and Strobe Lights Fire Alarm Pull Stations Electrical Generator System Safety Lights in the Hallways Fire Alarm and Suppression Systems Fire Alarm Fire Alarm Horn Sounding and Strobe Lights Flashing When you hear BOTH the fire alarm horn sounding and see the flashing strobe lights going off in the hallways you will know there is a fire alarm event in some part of the building that you are currently in. If you do not see smoke or fire in your immediate area, you are encouraged to remain calm and stay where you are unless instructed otherwise by staff and/or emergency responders. As discussed in the Building Evacuation Procedures section, you may also choose to seek refuge in the stairwell until the issue is resolved or assistance arrives. Example: If you are in the south tower and see the strobe lights are flashing and hear the horn sounding, the alarm event is taking place in the south tower. It could be on the floor you are on, but it could also be on another floor of the south tower. If you do not see smoke or fire in your immediate area, you are encouraged to remain calm and stay where you are unless instructed otherwise by Blakeford s team and/or emergency responders. Flashing Strobe Lights ONLY If you see the flashing strobe lights, but do not hear the fire alarm horn sounding, you will know that there is an alarm event in another part of the community which could be the other tower, the common areas, Burton Court Assisted Living or Woodcrest Health Center areas. In this case, you should continue as normal, unless instructed otherwise by Blakeford s team and/or emergency responders. Note: Tennessee state regulations require us to hold monthly fire drills in Burton Court Assisted Living and Woodcrest Health Center. You will only see flashing strobe lights in these instances and you do not need to respond unless instructed otherwise by Blakeford s team and/or emergency responders. 4
Fire-Rated Doors and Areas Blakeford s buildings are divided up into several distinct, fire-walled areas to prevent the spread of fire. In the event of a fire alarm in any part of the building these heavy, fire-proof doors automatically release and close to seal off each area and protect it. As soon as the fire alarm event is under control, the Blakeford team will make their way around the building to open these doors. You may open the doors as long as they are not warm to the touch. Note: Tennessee state regulations require us to hold monthly fire drills in Burton Court Assisted Living and Woodcrest Health Center. You will see the flashing strobe lights and notice these doors closed in those events. Fire Alarm Pull Stations If there is a fire of any size that has not been activated yet, you can notify the Blakeford and the fire department immediately by pulling the fire alarm pull station located at each exit/stairwell. Example: You have burned something on your stove and it has started a small fire that has not yet set off the smoke detectors or the fire sprinkler and alarm system. You should evacuate your apartment and go to the nearest fire alarm pull station to activate the fire alarm so Blakeford s team can respond to your apartment and an attempt can be made to put the fire out prior to the fire sprinkler system being activated. Frequently Asked Questions Who responds in the event of a fire in the building? Blakeford is monitored 24/7 by an alarm monitoring company and the main panel is located in the Burton Court Assisted Living administrative offices. Once the fire alarm is activated, Blakeford s team and the local fire department are immediately dispatched and respond to the exact area/zone of the building in which the alarm has been activated from and investigate the event. The local Fire Department is approximately 3 miles away from Blakeford and responds within minutes to all emergencies when dispatched. Once the Fire Department responds to any event, they will take over full control of the building and all Blakeford team members and Residents must follow their instructions. What if the system goes off and it is a false alarm? Unfortunately, there is no way for us to know if it is a false alarm until the Blakeford team and/or emergency responders have responded and investigated the event. Once they have responded and investigated the situation, we can make that determination. 5
How do we know when everything is okay in the building? We must manually silence the alarm following response to an event. Once the strobe lights and/or fire alarm horns stop you will know that the event has ended and everything is under control. If I use oxygen, should I display an Oxygen in Use placard on my apartment door? Yes, it is important that you notify us that you use oxygen and to put a placard on your door indicating such. In the event of a fire, it is critical for emergency responders to be aware of this due to the explosive nature of an oxygen tank. Smoke Detection and Fire Sprinkler Systems Your apartment and the entire Blakeford building is equipped with smoke detectors and a fire sprinkler system. Smoke Detection System If your smoke detector activates, Blakeford s team will be alerted through the main system and staff will respond immediately to assess the situation. When the smoke detectors make sounds, DO NOT PANIC, the alarm will stop when the smoke clears. You cannot turn it off on your own. Fire Sprinkler System You will notice fire sprinklers located throughout the building and your apartment. Each fire sprinkler is equipped with a heat sensor and is connected to the main system. If the heat sensor reaches a certain temperature it will automatically activate the device by releasing water in the specific area/zone where the fire is taking place. The sprinkler releases several gallons of water a minute at a very high pressure to suppress the fire. Frequently Asked Questions How do I know if the smoke detectors and fire sprinklers are working correctly? Blakeford s Maintenance department does routine checks of the system and will periodically need access to your apartment for this purpose. Blakeford also contracts with an outside provider to maintain the system. 6
Why is my smoke alarm chirping? Periodically, you may notice a short beep or chirp coming from your smoke detector. This is an alert to notify the main system that one of your smoke detectors may need attention. The main system will recognize this issue and staff will respond accordingly. However, feel free to notify the Front Desk if you hear this and the Maintenance team will respond promptly. Will the fire sprinkler go off if I burn my toast? If you burn your toast and set the smoke detectors off this does not always mean the fire sprinklers will also be triggered. It must reach a certain temperature in that area of your apartment in order for the fire sprinklers to also be activated. FIRE Fire Prevention and Safety Guidelines Fire Prevention The key to averting a fire is PREVENTION. Listed here are a few rules to follow to maintain a safe environment for you and your neighbors at Blakeford. 1. Trash is fuel for fire. Do not let it accumulate in your apartment or on your patio or deck. 2. Be alert to electrical equipment that does not work properly. Report any problems with appliances, cords, outlets, wiring or lights to the Front Desk. 3. Do not overload electrical outlets. 4. Keep heat-producing devices away from things that burn. 5. Do not store flammable liquids in your apartment. Do not leave candles or decorations (e.g. Christmas tree lights) unattended. 6. Do not leave stoves, ovens or microwaves unattended when in use. 7. Do not leave electric blankets, portable heaters and heating pads unattended when in use. 8. Extension cords and surge protectors are permitted, but they must be the appropriate size, quality and weight to carry the load of the devices that are plugged into them. For questions regarding this topic, you may inquire with a member of the Maintenance team. 7
9. Blakeford is a principally smoke-free community, including your individual apartment homes, parking lots, patios/balconies and Blakeford s grounds. This policy applies to you, your employees and your guests. There is one smoking area available. Fire Safety Smoke rises; therefore, if you are caught in smoke and are able you should crawl low to the floor to exit or at least sit as low as possible until emergency responders arrive. In the event of smoke or fire in your apartment or a room, do not open any doors unless you feel them first from top to bottom. If the door is warm, DO NOT OPEN IT. If it is not warm, kneel down and open the door slowly to exit. If there is any smoke or fire on the other side, close the door immediately and remain where you are. If you are able, place wet towels or wet sheets at the bottom of the door to keep smoke from seeping in while you wait for emergency responders. If you are in bed and hear the smoke detectors going off in your apartment, do not sit up. Remember smoke rises, and you may be sitting up into a smoke filled room. Instead, carefully roll out of bed onto the floor if you are able and turn on a light in the room, if possible. The main alarm board will recognize the smoke alarm event in your apartment and send an alert signal to Blakeford for immediate response to your apartment. If you are able, place wet towels or wet sheets at the bottom of the door to keep smoke from seeping in while you wait for emergency responders. Evacuation Procedures Building Evacuation Procedures It is encouraged that you familiarize yourself with your potential evacuation routes and exits from the building so you are prepared in the event of a building evacuation. Evacuation routes are posted at the sitting area on each floor of each tower. Building evacuation may be necessary if there is an internal or external threat to the life safety of those in the building. Evacuation will be the last response in an emergency event. In the unlikely event we would need to evacuate a portion of the building of the entire building, Blakeford s team and/or other emergency responders will direct you accordingly as to when this type of evacuation is necessary. However, you have the right to choose to evacuate the building on your own in any emergency event if you desire to do so. 8
Once you have evacuated the building, you should not re-enter the building until further notice from Blakeford and/or emergency responders. Designated Evacuation Assembly Areas In the event you are instructed by Blakeford s team or emergency responders, follow the closest and safest evacuation route available to you and assemble in the following areas to staff and emergency responders are able to easily account for everyone in the building. North Tower: Parking Area North Lot South Tower: Parking Area South Lot Common Areas: Front Entrance Parking Lot NOTE: If you reside in a first floor apartment, you can exit out by way of your patio and assemble in your tower s assembly area if you are able. Evacuation Procedures in the Event of Fire in the Building If Blakeford or emergency responders instruct you to evacuate the building in the event of a fire, you are to follow the building evacuation instructions as noted in the section Building Evacuation Procedures. Otherwise, you should remain where you are until otherwise notified. IMPORTANT! The tower elevators WILL NOT run in the event that the FIRE ALARM system has been activated. Once the fire alarm has been activated the elevators will automatically go to the first floor and the doors will open. Do not attempt to use the elevators once this occurs. If you are instructed to evacuate the building during a fire event, you should follow your evacuation route to the nearest stairwell. Once in the stairwell, continue down the stairs to exit and to your designated assembly area, if you are able. If you are NOT able to safely navigate the stairs to exit the building, you are to remain in the stairwell landing with the stairwell door closed until assistance can arrive to help you out of the building. The stairwells are a safe area in the event of a fire. 9
Frequently Asked Questions Why are the stairwells a safe area in the event of a fire? The stairwell doors are 2-hour fire rated doors and the walls are solid concrete. You will be safe in this area until assistance arrives to help you out of the building. You must close these doors behind you in order for the doors to work properly and keep you safe. Can I take my motorized scooter into the stairwell in the event of a building evacuation? If you are able to safely navigate the evacuation route without the assistance of your motorized scooter you are encouraged to leave it in your apartment. If you cannot safely ambulate without your motorized scooter, you should remain in your apartment until assistance can arrive, given the fire or emergency incident is not taking place inside YOUR apartment home. Evacuation Procedures in the Event of a Fire in the Common Areas In the event of a fire in a common area (i.e. Dining Room, Multipurpose Room, etc.) go to the nearest fire alarm pull box (located at exits and stairwells) and activate it to alert the staff and emergency responders to the issue if the fire alarm has not already been set off. Go to a safe area or follow the nearest building evacuation route as indicated in the section titled Building Evacuation Procedures. Evacuation Procedures in the Event of a Fire Inside Your Apartment In the case of a fire of any size INSIDE your apartment: 1. Evacuate yourself and anyone else from your apartment. Then close the door to the apartment. Do not take time to assemble your personal belongings. 2. If the alarm is not already activated, go to the nearest fire alarm pull box along evacuation route and activate it to notify the fire department and other residents. 3. Go to the nearest stairwell or other safe place away from the smoke and fire. 4. Follow the instructions noted in the section titled Evacuation Procedures in the Event of a Fire in the Building, if instructed by Blakeford s team and/or emergency responders to evacuate the building. 5. Do not reenter the building once you exit until otherwise instructed by Blakeford s team and/or emergency responders. Refer to the section titled Evacuation Procedures in the Event of a Fire in the Building for more information in the event you are instructed to evacuate the building in the event of a fire. 10
Severe Weather Severe weather could include high winds, tornadoes, or severe thunderstorms. Please take appropriate measures to prepare yourself if severe weather is possible in our area. Severe Weather Notifications- Based off of information given by the National Weather Service and local news information, Blakeford will determine when the Blakeford community is in Severe Weather status. In this case, you will receive an automated phone message from Blakeford indicating this with instructions you are encouraged to follow. We encourage you to purchase a weather radio and have it on at all times. You should tune into the radio and/or local television station weather forecast if there is potential severe weather reported in the area. You may make the determination to go to your safe place should you feel it necessary to do so even if you have not received an automated phone message from Blakeford. Preparing Your Apartment in the Event of Severe Weather 1. Please secure or bring inside your apartment any objects that have the potential to become harmful flying objects. 2. Locate your flashlights and extra batteries to be prepared in the event of a power failure. 3. If you are in your apartment during severe weather, close your draperies and blinds, take shelter in a closet, bathroom or any innermost location in your apartment without windows. 4. If you are in the common areas, seek shelter in an enclosed area away from glass, such as a stairwell or one of the bathrooms in the common areas. Avoid windows, doors, outside walls and areas with a large expanse of roof such as the main Dining Room. 5. Stay tuned to weather reports to find out when danger has passed. 6. During severe weather, the Resident parking garage is considered the safest shelter. It is encouraged to be familiar with a safe route to the garage should you choose to take cover in this area. 11
Power Failure On occasion, Blakeford may experience a temporary power failure due to issues outside of our control. Reasons for power outages could be due to severe weather or even issues with the Nashville Electrical Services. In any event, be assured that The Blakeford is in contact with all necessary services and working very hard to return power to the building. It is very important that you keep flashlights and spare batteries accessible to be prepared for a power failure. IMPORTANT! The two elevators nearest to the main common areas are on generator power and will continue operating in the event of a power outage. Do not attempt to use the elevators nearest to the south and north parking lots in the event of a power failure! Your emergency call system will NOT function in case of a power failure. Call the Front Desk if you are in need of emergency assistance. The Maintenance and/or Security teams will be the first responders in these cases and coordinate communication with Nashville Electric Service, Residents and Blakeford. All fire monitoring and suppression systems will continue operating on the generators. Emergency Lighting Emergency hallway and common area lighting is designed to turn on in the event of a power failure and will last up to 1 ½ hours. 12
Frequently Asked Questions What if an extended period of power failure happens during the cold weather season or severe heat and the A/C and Heating systems do not work? If there is an extended loss of power, there may be a need to evacuate to a place where Residents can stay comfortable. Blakeford will notify you by whatever means necessary if this is the case. What if I get stuck in a building elevator? If you ever find yourself in an inoperable elevator, there is a phone located underneath the panel that will automatically connect you to Blakeford s main phone line. The phone will be answered and someone will respond to this emergency need 24/7. What should I do in the event of a power outage and my oxygen is low? It is important to notify us if you require the use of oxygen. During a power outage, we can assist you by offering you the use of a space in the Woodcrest Health Center where there is generator power. Emergency Preparedness Drills Blakeford conducts an annual unannounced emergency preparedness drill for Independent Living residents. You are not required to participate in these drills, but you are highly encouraged to do so. There will be a Severe Weather drill immediately ollowed by a Fire Evacuation drill. Here are a few important things you will need to know if you plan to participate: SEVERE WEATHER DRILL- You will receive an automated telephone message from Blakeford indicating that the community is under a SEVERE WEATHER warning. If you are in your apartment when you receive this call, you should respond by following the guidelines noted in the Severe Weather section of this Handbook. This scenario is meant to serve as a reminder to help you ensure that you have the necessary 13
supplies in the event of severe weather and give you the opportunity to practice what you would do in the case of severe weather. You will receive an automated phone message shortly after indicating that the Several Weather Drill has concluded. FIRE EVACUATION DRILL- You will receive an automated telephone message from Blakeford indicating that Blakeford is under a FIRE EVACUATION DRILL. Blakeford s Maintenance team will initiate the fire alarm which will signal the start of the drill. You will see flashing strobe lights and hear the fire alarm horn sounding in your tower. If you wish to participate in this drill, you should exit your apartment and head to the closest stairwell. You DO NOT need to make your way down the stairs and exit to the parking lot, unless you wish to do so. If you live on the first floor you should exit via your patio and make your way to your designated parking lot. Due to the limited amount of space in the stairwells, we ask that those that can navigate the hallway to get to the stairwell without the assistance of a walker or motorized scooter please do so. There will be a Blakeford team member on your floor to guide you and answer any questions you may have. The drill will be complete once the horns are no longer sounding and the strobe lights turn off. IMPORTANT: The purpose of this drill is for residents to be aware of their evacuation route should that ever be necessary. This drill will create a scenario where Blakeford has experienced a fire event in the building and the fire department has deemed it necessary to actually evacuate a part of the building as a safety precaution. This is an extreme scenario. In a real-life fire event scenario you are encouraged to remain in your apartment until further instruction from the fire department or a Blakeford team member unless the fire is in your apartment, you see smoke from your apartment or you sense that you are in immediate danger. If a building evacuation is ever necessary you will be instructed by Blakeford s team members or the Fire Department to evacuate the building. 14
Other Important Information PLEASE refrain from calling the Front Desk in any of the events noted in this handbook unless you are experiencing an actual emergency event. The Front Desk team is dealing with emergency personnel, answering phone calls from the emergency monitoring personnel, coordinating response from Blakeford personnel and emergency responders regarding the event and many other tasks at one time. When Residents overwhelm the phone lines with non-emergency needs simply wanting to ask questions about what has taken place, it makes it difficult for the Front Desk staff to properly respond to the emergency needs. You are automatically enrolled in Blakeford s automated telephone messaging system. You may opt out of this service by requesting that the Front Desk remove or by responding to the automated phone message indicating that you would like to opt out of this service. Remember, if you opt out of this service you will no longer receive these messages. If you opt out, but would like to re-enroll, please let the Front Desk know. It is important that you familiarize yourself with this handbook and have it available for reference so you are prepared for all potential life safety events that could take place at Blakeford. 15