Fire Safety for Residents of Apartment Buildings

If the communal or building fire alarm in your apartment block sounds, you should evacuate immediately; don’t assume it is a false alarm. Alarm panels should not be silenced or reset by anyone other than a competent person. Call 999 or 112. Don’t assume someone else has called

Leave the building closing doors behind you to reduce the spread of fire and smoke.

Do not reenter the building until the emergency services have deemed it safe to do so

Fire and smoke can spread quickly. Think of Fire Prevention, Fire Detection and Fire Evacuation

When contacting the emergency services on 999 or 112, provide the exact location (the Eircode will be helpful), the phone number you are calling from, and information about the emergency. Stay on the line so the operator has all the details.

Familiarise yourself with your building evacuation routes and locations of fire alarm manual call points (break glass units) and fire fighting equipment.

Check that evacuation routes are clear of obstructions, clearly marked, and have emergency lighting. Also, check that escape doors are unlocked or not blocked by security bars and do not require a key to exit.

If you are a wheelchair user or have difficulty with mobility and cannot use the stairs, find out if there are refuge areas in your building designed to provide a relative place of safety and provide voice communication to alert emergency services. Remember, in the event of a fire alarm, you should not use the lift. Have a clear and realistic plan in the event of an emergency evacuation. It may involve the use of an evacuation chair.

Regularly test the smoke alarms within your apartment ( In a rented apartment, they should be either mains wired or ten-year sealed battery smoke alarms rather than the replaceable 9-volt rectangular battery operated smoke alarms)

Check if there is evidence the fire alarm and detection system for the building is maintained ( Typically, a log will be kept at the fire alarm control panel of inspections dated within the last four months )

If you are caught in smoke, remember that smoke rises. To avoid inhalation, get down and crawl, and take short breaths through your nose. Cleaner, cooler air will be near the floor.

If you can’t get out of your apartment because of fire, smoke or a disability, you can stuff wet towels or sheets around the door and vents to keep smoke out. Call The Fire Brigade and tell them where you are in the building. Opening a window slightly and waving a bright cloth to signal your location is also a good idea. However, be prepared to close the window as it may worsen the smoke.

If you suspect a breach of fire safety regulations, notice a potential hazard in a public place or have another fire safety concern, you can contact your Local Authority Fire Brigade’s Fire Prevention section.

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have additional information and educational leaflets available to the public from www.fireireland.ie