Skypoint Fire Systems & Safety : A detailed overview of what keeps us safe from fire and other emergencies.

Recently numerous questions were asked about Skypoint and fire/emergency safety. That prompted me to do some research and write this blog article. Where I did not have knowledge of the system I asked Bruce Furtado, our Building Engineer to help clarify.  I think these are great questions. Bruce gave me a great tour of some of our critical systems in the building which I really enjoyed.  I have expanded upon the wealth of information that Bruce provided me and here is the result: 

• Fire Detection System



Common Smoke/Heat Sensor in Residential Unit

• Smoke Detectors
• All smoke/heat detectors are hard wired.
• All smoke detectors are equipped with battery back up.
• The batteries in smoke detectors will commonly last 7 months depending on brand/manufacturer. Most fire districts recommend changing batteries when clocks are changed for day light savings time.
• Interior maintenance (or battery changing) at present is the responsibility of the unit owner and fire inspectors would not even entertain the thought of using their time to change out batteries.  
• This is NOT meant in any way other than a positive way but in a building this size there could be an opportunity for someone to provide this service, perhaps along with changing a unit’s filter or other things that some unit owners just don’t want to do and don’t require licensure or extensive training.  People who typically buy in a condo usually don’t want to have any involvement with their condo other than enjoying it.  It’s expected to just “WORK” but our condo docs specifically spell out mandatory things a unit owner must do on a certain timeline.  Anyone reading this may want to investigate providing these things (where possible) including changing smoke/heat detector batteries! What do you think?
• The hard wire aspect of the smoke detectors does not function as a battery charger. The smoke detector will“chirp” when the batteries are dying. When the batteries are completely drained a constant beep will be heard.
• Smoke/heat detectors do not activate the sprinkler system.  The activation of the sprinkler system is detailed below
• The smoke/heat operations room is located across from the lobby public bathroom.  
• Area(s) affected by smoke or heat (fire) can be indicated in this area.
• Fireman phone inventory is located in this room.  The phones that hook into the building intercom so that firemen throughout the building can speak to the chief in this control room.
• A small auxiliary  panel is located at the concierge desk for general alerts, that would then cause investigation of the indications in the fire control room.
• The Public Address system is also located in this fire control room.
• The fire department is automatically alerted depending on the type of warning without any initiation of human staff or residents.
• Heat Detectors
• Located generally in public areas and in control rooms
• Manual Red Fire/Emergency Pull stations



Manual Fire Pull 

• In the common hallways there are red manual emergency/fire pull stations.  By pulling down on one of these manual warning switches it will activate the fire/emergency warning system
• The Fire Alarm will sound (TONE)
• The adjacent red FIRE with high capacitor strobe light will flash at a constant interval until there the system is manually reset.
• Fire Suppression System



Typical Omni-directional sprinkler head

• Sprinklers
• The fire suppression system is a wet system designed with heat sensitive sprinkler heads. The entire building is equipped with the wet suppression system.  The system is constantly pressurized.  The water for the system is taken from our 8 inch main that the city provides the building.  The main water pipe after entering the building (which is located to the right of the up ramp on Zack St, inside the 30 minute lot next to the police car space) is split, one way goes to the water system and the other to the sprinkler system.  That water supply is then kept at a constant pressure that is sufficient to provide a more than adequate pressure at the highest points of our building (The pressure falls as the height climbs) There is an auxiliary pump that is used for small decreases in pressure sensed, to restore the ground floor pressure to the minimum pressure to supply the entire building, so there is one main pump and a secondary pump.  This means that at every sprinkler head there is positive pressure at all times.  The heads are designed to activate when the heat of a fire reaches a prescribed temperature by melting a plastic fuse. Each sprinkler head in EVERY space is specifically designed for that space taking into consideration walls, distance to the next head, etc.  The sprinkler head can also be activated inadvertently by force of say a hanger (yes people have hung their clothes on sprinkler heads) or by an accidental blow to the head of the sprinkler.  The sprinkler will continue to operate if either activated by a melted fuse plug (in the case of a real fire) or if inadvertently damaged until they are manually turned off. Panels in the master sprinkler room will alert what zone has been activated.
• DO NOT hang anything from a sprinkler head
• DO NOT paint or allow spray paint to contaminate a sprinkler head
• Positive Pressure Stairwells
• The concrete block construction with metal stairs in each stairwell is pressurized.  The pressurization of this stairwell column is to create a positive pressure as opposed to the pressure on the other side of each door at each floor.  The idea behind this type of arrangement is keep any smoke that is caused by a fire out of the stairwells.  This is also the reason why the doors are locked and should NOT be propped open for any reason.  Within the stairwells at certain floors there are intercoms that are directly connected to the concierge desk in the lobby.  Concierge remote access to open any adjacent door is not allowed by code above floor 7.
• 2 Hour Rated Walls
• Almost all walls exterior to the walls inside of your unit are rated to withstand a fire for up to 2 hours before burning through.
• 1 Hour Rated Walls
• I believe all interior walls are rated at a burn through time of at least 1 hour
• Automatically Closing Isolation Doors



Automatic Fire Doors Isolating elevators from residential  units

• Under certain conditions as determined by the fire detection system the field to the magnets that hold open the doors separating the elevator shafts from units will de-power and the doors will close by normal hydraulic closing units at the top. These are also fail safe in that if power is lost,such as in a possible fire, these doors will close when the electricity fails.  These doors will also keep any fire that could travel up the elevator shafts one more layer of protection for unit owners.
• Stairwells are located as far as possible from the elevator shafts as possible in case there is any smoke that could travel up the elevator shafts
• Dry Chemical Fire Extinguishers in hallways




Check your individual extinguisher pressure

• Generally there are two dry chemical fire extinguishers located on each residential floor, located near each stairwell.
• These are inspected and replaced if necessary by management yearly
• Dry Chemical Fire Extinguishers provided by the developer for each unit sold
• Each unit was provided a fire extinguisher by the developer
• These should be checked by the unit owner and if expired OR not in the green band it needs to be IMMEDIATELY replaced.  
• Emergency Public Alert Systems



Fire/Emergency Strobe

• RED FIRE with high capacitor strobe will flash at a constant interval
• These are either co-located with the manual fire pull switch, just above the switch or at other locations in the hallway about ⅔ up the wall
• Emergency Public Address System
• Also located in the fire control room mentioned above is the emergency public address system.  Anyone who has been in the building for more than a year can recall sometime around March the fire testing that takes place.  Bruce Furtado, accompanied by fire department inspection personnel start their test in the fire control room.  Before any test is started or any alarm sounded Bruce has become somewhat infamous for his “THIS IS A TEST” announcements! This system could theoretically be used not just in a fire, but for any catastrophe to provide a building wide announcement as to safe routes, procedures, or that help is on the way.  
• Unit Speakers



Typical Emergency address speaker in each unit

• These are the speakers that are hardwired and located in each bedroom that you hear the above messages on.
• Green Exit Signs with emergency lights powered by battery backup



Exit Signs with lights & Battery backup

• Throughout the building there are green exit signs indicating the way to the nearest exit.  These signs, other than the ones in the parking lot, have installed in the bottom two lights powered by batteries within the exit sign that are constantly kept charged when normal electrical power is provided to these signs.  In the event of a power failure these lights would automatically come on, and the batteries in the signs will also keep the exit signs lighted for a limited amount of time.
• Intercoms in stairwells

• There are intercoms that link points in each stairwell with the concierge desk.  Should the emergency be cancelled and you are stuck in the stairwell these can be used to call the concierge for assistance.
• Emergency Evacuation
• Although I could be wrong I do not believe that there is a written policy for emergency evacuation in the condo documents.
• That being said, there IS a policy manual that our management company will use should there be a need for an emergency evacuation.
• When in doubt GET OUT
• As a point of general advice:
• In the event of a fire alarm all occupants should enter into the stairwells to exit the building. The stairwells are pressurized therefore exit into a residential floor other than the ground/street level is blocked via a keyed lock.
• In the event of a fire alarm and you are in the parking garage, proceed to the nearest stairwell, walk down to street level, exit the building, and move away from the building until a fire official gives the all clear.
• Make sure that you indicate you pets in Building link or have them on file with Management so if possible your pets can be saved should there be a fire/emergency, keeping in mind that human life and the safety of the fire fighters will of course always take priority over pets.

I hope this helps you to understand all of the systems that are in place to keep you safe during a fire emergency. Your suggestions are always welcome.