Special Hazards

Because families in apartment complexes live so close together, there are special areas of concern when it comes to fire safety. Apartment complexes are simply a series of small, connected homes. It’s important to remember that what you do in your apartment can affect people living six-doors down, or even in the next building.

Special hazards that affect people who live in apartments:

· Often, there is only one way in or out -- no back door.

· Stairways are often built entirely of wood. If the stairwell or walkway is on fire, you may not be able to exit through the front door.

· Congested parking can mean blocked fire hydrants and/or blocked fire lanes. (A ladder truck can be 8 – 9-feet wide, and 50-feet long. A blocked fire lane can slow down response time.)

· An apartment building is, in effect, a very densely populated neighborhood. (If the downstairs or next door apartment is on fire, it can spread quickly to adjoining apartments in a matter of minutes.) Without properly working smoke alarms, it make take a lengthy amount of time before finding out that another part of the apartment building is on fire. Consequently, this could cut your chances of getting out of the building alive.