Apartment fire safety

[High rise living, know your way out]

[Fire fighter]
If a fire breaks out, it's important to know what to do and how you will safely escape. 

[Narrator]
If you live in a high-rise building, that means learning and practicing your building's evacuation plan, knowing its fire safety systems and understanding how they work. Fires can be dangerous and confusing you will want to leave quickly, and it's much safer to do so, if you have a clear understanding of where you're going.

Your building will have an evacuation plan hosted in a visible area such as a foyer, or near a lift or stairwell - find yours. The plan will include instructions on the safest way out and where to assemble. Exit points and pathways should be clearly identifiable by an illuminated green and white exit sign. Learn where the exit points are, and where they lead. Walk through the plan with the people you live with. Know how many turns and doors you'll take to get out. You need to evacuate safely in a calm manner, so it's important to have walked your path before an emergency. If you are a landlord, you may consider providing an escape plan to renters or visitors.

Fire isolated stairs, if provided, will lead you out and away from the building. Close fire doors to keep smoke and heat
out of the stairwell.

Time is critical, get out quickly and safely, and do not re-enter until the all-clear is given. If you are unable to safely escape stay inside your apartment, and seal the doors to stop smoke getting inside. Call Triple Zero and ask for evacuation assistance.

[Fire fighter]
Your safety is very important to us, and it starts with good planning. For more information please visit frv.vic.gov.au

[3B. Fire Prevention Tips for Owners Corporations]

[Gentle piano music]

[Presenter]
As the world's cities continue to grow at an unprecedented rate, the construction industry has boomed, embracing many new building techniques and materials.

[On screen text]
Fire prevention tips for owners corporations

[Presenter]
Whether you're a resident, an owner or the manager of the property, everyone has a part to play in fire safety. As an owners corporation member or manager, it's your responsibility to ensure essential safety measures are in place and well maintained. 

Essential safety measures are a building's first line of defence when an incident like a fire occurs. Like anything, they require ongoing care and maintenance. 

[Andy Waterson - CFA Operations Manager]
There can be many elements that make up essential safety measures within a building. It's important that managers and residents work together to understand where they're located, how they work and how to test them. At the end of the day, safety of the residents is paramount and these measures are designed to help. 

[On screen text]
Essential Safety Measures

[Andy Waterson]
Smoke and heat detectors in fire safety are extremely important because they're the first audible alert or alarm that there's a fire or smoke present. This enables people to exit the building, and in some cases it alerts the fire brigade. They're very complex and they need to be tested and maintained properly. There will be at least one in each apartment. 

The role of a fire sprinkler system is to stop a fire before it develops and spreads. It's one of the first lines of defence for fire. They need to be maintained and tested regularly. 

Fire doors where fitted restrict the spread of smoke and flame. It gives people valuable time to get out of the building. It's important that they're regularly serviced and that the area around is not blocked and that the doors are not locked. Smoke doors are designed to stop the spread of smoke and flame. It's important that the self-closes and the door seals are checked regularly. 

Emergency exit signs offer a fast exit from the building for residents. They need to be illuminated at all times and firefighters will also use these to get in and out of the building. 

Fire hydrants need to be accessible and fully maintained. It's critical that the firefighters can access these when fighting a fire. Fire extinguishers are really effective at containing small fires. Residents should know where they're located and if they're confident to use them, do so, but also remember, call Triple Zero.

[Presenter]
Owners corporations have an important role to play in ensuring fire safety awareness in their building's community, which includes practising evacuation drills, ensuring good housekeeping and monitoring maintenance of exit lighting.

[Music]

[On screen text]
Emergency evacuation plans

[Andy Waterson]
An emergency evacuation plan is an important document. It covers what to do in emergency. The plan needs to be visible - so, places like lobbies, lifts, noticeboards. Each owner occupier should have a copy and it should be tested at least once every year. 

Owners of properties that cater for short-stay accommodation have a responsibility that all their fire safety systems are in good working order. They should also have an evacuation map on the back of the main entry door, and they should also provide people to staying there with relevant fire safety information. 

[Presenter]
It's important to get to know your building. Every building is different and your building may have originally been designed with additional unique safety features, which may need special maintenance

[On screen text]
Owners Corporations and Residents]

[Andy Waterson]
Owners corporation managers need to have a good relationship with people that live in the building. They need to be able to go into apartments and check fire safety. They need to constantly have the discussion around fire safety. They need to practise evacuation drills, ensure that everything is clean and housekeeping is in good order, and also ensure that emergency lighting is working.

Where possible, managers should maintain a building register. It's important for us, the fire brigade, to know who is in the building or who may be in the building, especially for short-stay accommodation, and people that potentially have mobility issues. 

The legal responsibility an owners corporation manager has is to ensure that the essential safety measures are regularly tested and maintained. Logbooks need to be filled in and there's penalties for non-compliance. It needs to be done by an accredited provider, and you as the manager and the provider need to have a good understanding of the safety measures within the building. 

[Presenter]
So we've now covered many of the main areas involved in fire safety. Its these measures that will help keep your property and its people safe. As an owners corporation manager or member of the committee, it's your responsibility to ensure all essential safety measures are in place and well maintained. 

If you have any questions around this, please contact your local fire service's fire safety department or your local government authority municipal building surveyor.

[On screen text]
In July 2019, the Victoria Government launched Cladding Safety Victoria to assist residential apartment owners with rectification works. 

For more information on Cladding Safety Victoria: 
Call the support line on 1300 456 542
Visit vic.gov.au/cladding-safety

[Music]