Fire Escape Protocol:
· STAY AT HOME, except when the fire is in the apt just below yours (in which case you can consider evacuation per guidelines as follow)
· If you need to evacuate, always check if there is smoke or fire outside your apt first:
{C}o Feel the handle on your door to check if there is fire outside.
{C}o Open door slightly to check for smoke. If yes, then close the door and seal the floor gap with wet towel, and put duct tape around the doorframe and stay in the apartment until firemen arrive.
· If you need to or choose to evacuate, you should ALWAYS use the north wall exterior fire escape stairway (accessible from the hallway outside B, C, D apartments) leading to courtyard then to lobby.
· Stay at home instead or take the interior open stairway leading directly to lobby if you see fire or smoke outside the north wall fire staircase.
· Use the outside small fire escape on Alley façade ONLY in true emergencies
· If your apartment is directly above or next door to the fire, then the firemen will enter your apartment and possibly open walls and floors in order to check for hidden fire.
· Always leave apartment doors UNLOCKED during a fire, whether you evacuate or not.
General Fire Safety at Home:
· Keep laptops away from paper and other flammable items.
· Never plug an extension cord off of another extension cord.
· Don’t use extension cords for large appliances.
· Use Surge Protectors for all electrical equipment, but only high quality ones (e.g. the models that include, say, $200,000 equipment warranty)
· Don’t overload several Christmas tree light plugs together – spread them out across different wall outlets. Keep water away.
· Install Carbon Monoxide detectors at home – ideally one in each bedroom (Jay recommends no higher than top of door frame, closer to where you sleep) and one in living room/kitchen.
· Change CO/Smoke detector batteries every time clock changes.
· Check CO detector shelf life (5-7 years). Newer ones beep at the end of 7 year shelf life, but older ones don’t have that feature. Be sure to check how old your CO detector is. Ask the coop to provide one if you don’t have one under 7 years old.
· Always hire licensed electricians to wire fixtures.
· Never put extension cords or adaptors under carpet or directly under mattress.