“Man is the only creature that dares to light a fire and live with it. The reason? Because he alone has learned to put it out.” ~Henry Jackson Vandyke, Jr.
Fire safety is always a current topic at North Shore Towers. In our continuing effort to ensure that our residents are as safe as possible within their homes, our community is now undergoing a dramatic technological upgrade in the area of fire detection and notification. Currently, there are smoke alarms positioned on the top floor of each of our buildings. In the event of a fire, an alarm would sound in the control room of our power plant indicating there was smoke some where on one of 33 floors.
Through the efforts of your Board of Directors, along with the recommendations made by the Capital Improvement Committee, approval was given to install smoke alarms on every floor, along with a central station monitor system that directly connects to the fire department. This will now give us the ability to locate the actual floor with the smoke condition. Anticipated to be completed by this summer, these system upgrades will greatly improve our early warning detection ability, provide for a more rapid response from emergency personnel and thereby enhance the safety of our residents.
Please take a moment to review the following information and ensure that you have taken the appropriate safety measures that will best prepare you and your family.
? Every apartment is required by law to have at least one smoke alarm and one carbon monoxide detector. They may be a combination unit. Test all smoke alarms/carbon monoxide detectors at least once a month and replace batteries twice a year – in the spring and fall when clocks are changed for daylight savings time is a good reminder. If for some reason your detector does not function, please call Central Maintenance at (718) 224-9502 during business hours to check for the cause, replace batteries if needed or for a replacement alarm from our inventory on hand.
? Please note the location of your alarm. The New York City Fire Department recommends that a smoke alarm be placed within 15 feet of all sleeping areas. Although not required, for added safety you may install a smoke alarm in every room where people sleep. If you would like additional smoke alarms in your apartment, you can call Central Maintenance for an appointment at your convenience.
? If your alarm is wall-mounted, the manufacturer recommends it be installed no less than 4” and no more than 12” from the ceiling. If you observe your detector installed outside of this recommendation, please contact Central Maintenance so this can be corrected at your convenience. Ceiling-mounted detectors have no similar recommendations.
? If your apartment has been painted or renovated, it is important that you ensure all alarms have been replaced in the proper locations. As always, Central Maintenance is available to assist you in the installation and maintenance of your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
? Your FRONT DOOR should be self-closing. Open the door and test it by letting it close completely on its own. Door stops on entry doors are prohibited by law. If your entry door sticks open at any position, please call Central Maintenance for an adjustment.
? Also, remember your Fire Safety Notice should be affixed to the back of your entry door. Replacement notices are available from our Security Department upon request. You and everyone who occupies your apartment should be thoroughly familiar with the contents of the Fire Safety Notice, which tells you what to do if there is a fire.
? The exhaust vent in your bathroom and kitchen has an automatic damper behind it that closes if there is a fire. The damper is not always visible from the outside, but it is there in all original rooms. If you have remodeled and are not sure that your contractor replaced the damper, call Central Maintenance and request that a handyman verify that it was done properly.
It is important to understand that our buildings at North Shore Towers are fireproof. If there is a fire and it is not in your immediate apartment, the safest thing for you to do is to remain in your apartment unless emergency personnel advise you otherwise. If the fire is in your apartment you should get out immediately, closing the unlocked door behind you to prevent fire and smoke from spreading. Finally, call Security at (718) 423-7990 from a neighbor’s apartment. Security will notify the Fire Department and direct responding emergency personnel to the right location.
Management and all of our staff take the job of protecting your safety very seriously. Working together, we can keep North Shore Towers and Country Club a safe place for our friends and neighbors.
