People living in multifamily housing need to think ahead and be prepared in the event of a fire. It is important to know the fire safety features in your building and work together with neighbors to help keep the building as fire safe as possible.

  • The fire alarm system has many parts that work together. Some of the parts are out of sight. In a fire, smoke detectors sense smoke and activate the fire alarm. Manual fire alarm boxes allow people to sound the alarm. When the fire alarm system activates, it will warn residents of danger.
  • Everyone in the building should know where to find the manual fire alarm boxes (alarm boxes on the wall with a pull bar). Most are found within five feet of an exit door.
  • If there is a fire, pull the manual fire alarm box handle on your way out of the building.
  • When the system senses smoke or fire, a loud horn or tone will sound. Everyone must know what this sound means and how to react.
  • Leave the building right away if you hear the sound of a fire alarm. Stay outside at your meeting place until you are told the building is safe.
  • Treat every fire alarm as an emergency. When the alarms sounds, get outside.
  • Only use a manual fire alarm box if there is smoke or fire. Frequent false alarms are a problem. People might ignore the sound if they hear too many false alarms. False alarms also put firefighters at risk.

Apartment Buildings

Special hazards that affect people who live in apartment or condominium complexes:

  • Often, there is only one way in or out — no back door of a unit.
  • Stairways are often built entirely of wood. If the stairwell or walkway is on fire, you may not be able to exit through the front door.
  • Congested parking can mean blocked fire hydrants and/or blocked fire lanes. A blocked fire lane can slow down response time.
  • An apartment building is, in effect, a very densely populated neighborhood. If the downstairs or next-door apartment is on fire, it can spread quickly to adjoining apartments in a matter of minutes.
  • Without properly working smoke alarms, it may take a long time before you find out that another part of the apartment building is on fire. Consequently, this could cut your chances of getting out of the building alive.

High-Rise Buildings

People living in a high-rise apartment or condominium building need to think ahead and be prepared in the event of a fire. It is important to know the fire safety features in your building and work together with neighbors to help keep the building as fire safe as possible.

  • Meet with your landlord or building manager to learn about the fire safety features in your building (fire alarms, sprinklers, voice communication procedures, evacuation plans and how to respond to an alarm).
  • Know the locations of all available exit stairs from your floor in case the nearest one is blocked by fire or smoke.
  • If the fire alarm sounds, feel the door before opening and close all doors behind you as you leave. If it is hot, use another way out. If it is cool, leave by the nearest way out.
  • Use the stairs to get out. Typically, you should not use the elevator unless directed by the fire department. Some buildings are being equipped with elevators intended for use during an emergency situation. These types of elevators will clearly be marked that they are safe to use in the event of an emergency.

Last Updated: Apr 24, 2025

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