Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: checklist for dealing with a big emergency and its aftermath

[Katie Henry (katie-henry]

Sorry to hear about your sprinkler. I'll bet it's a big mess. I'm assuming the 
fire department was automatically notified and they came out and shut it off?

I have lots of documents for various emergency and troubleshooting procedures. 
I'll see what I can dig up and send you. But every building is unique. Nothing 
I have would apply to your building.

Obviously, the first step with any life-safety issue (and that includes the 
sprinkler system) is to call 911. 

The next most important thing is to have multiple residents who are trained in 
advance and prepared to respond to these situations. Having a document is 
great, but if nobody has a key to the room with the sprinkler pump, there's not 
much you can do.

It looks like your community is 20+ years old, so maybe you don't have the 
original construction documents. Do you have a company that inspects your 
sprinkler system periodically? That's required in most jurisdictions. I'd 
assign someone to follow him around and pick his brain about operating the 
system, where the major components are located (alarm panels, pumps, etc.), and 
what you can safely and legally do yourselves. For example, in my former 
community, I could shut off the sprinkler pump, but I could not silence the 
building-wide alarm, even though I knew how to do it. That had to be done by 
the fire department or we could have gotten in big trouble. Then write up a 
document and train your handy residents.

I would also bring out the fire department and ask them the same questions. 
Have the whole shift over for dinner. They're happy to visit the properties 
they're protecting and they'll give you useful safety advice.

Once the sprinkler is shut off, your best bet is to call ServPro or a similar 
24/7 disaster restoration company. They'll bring out giant fans and 
dehumidifiers, pull up carpet, cut out drywall, etc. It's not a job for 
amateurs. The faster you respond, the more likely you are to avoid issues like 
mold or warped flooring. The cost may be covered by insurance.

For other emergencies, all you can do is know who to call for help. For 
example, if an elevator gets trapped between floors, there's nothing a resident 
should try to do. Your options are to either call the fire department or call 
the elevator service company. But you should compile this contact info before 
you need it and have it easily findable by residents.

Katie HenryHeartwood Commons - Tulsa
https://www.heartwoodcommonstulsa.com/
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