Bells Are Ringing.....walls Are Buzzing......

[baker7]

Today, I found out that BHA is testing our sprinkler system. When they do this, they add enough air pressure to set off the system to see if it works. When they do this, an alarm sounds outside my bedroom window, and the flow pipes expel water like mad. The first time it happened, it sounded like a waterfall, as water was GUSHING out of the outflow pipe - I went to investigate, and foind that in addition to the pipe that is under my bedroom window, that there is one attached to the side of the building, which I can see from my kitchen window

When all that water comes out it sounds like a TORRENTIAL rain - I am glad that they do this, because I want to be safe

Brian

[hitest]

Hi Brian,

That is great to hear that your landlord is concerned about your safety.

[JDoors]

I've seen the results of poor maintenance of sprinkler systems; brown, muddy, smelly water that can clog the sprinkler heads, making them useless. Good to know they're keeping up.

[garmanma]

I've seen the results of poor maintenance of sprinkler systems; brown, muddy, smelly water that can clog the sprinkler heads, making them useless. Good to know they're keeping up.

I've worked on a few REALLY old systems. You're right about that

Mark

[baker7]

I've seen the results of poor maintenance of sprinkler systems; brown, muddy, smelly water that can clog the sprinkler heads, making them useless. Good to know they're keeping up.

I've worked on a few REALLY old systems. You're right about that

Mark

Yes, I am glad that my landlords keep up with the safety systems it makes me feel better knowing that I am safe - I keep my scanner on, so if there is a fire or police call, I know what the devil is going on - those sprinklers save lives and this was so evident when at North Barre Manor, we had a FIRE in an apartment on the 10th floor - Those sprinklers kept the FIRE damage to a minimum, but the WATER damage was evident in the 08 cluster of apartments from 11 down to 2, plus the main floor livingroom celing and floor were a mess, but no one injured

I may complain and grumble bout the ringing alarm, because it is obnoxious and hurts my ears, but I'm glad that we have the safery systems we have - keeps people safe

Brian

[JDoors]

... Those sprinklers kept the FIRE damage to a minimum, but the WATER damage was evident in the 08 cluster of apartments from 11 down to 2, plus the main floor livingroom celing and floor were a mess, but no one injured ...

Often water damage is extensive, but few people are injured by it. A good trade-off I'd say.

[Chappy]

Actually, they are required by Law to maintain and test the sprinkler systems in multi unit apartments and the like. Basically because of what USED to happen, they were left to rot out and when they were really needed they didn't work and people died as a result.

Fire Bylaws are very strict now, and we enforce them religously these days. Too many people died needlessly from poorly maintained sprinklers, alarms, water closet hoses...etc, so a clamp down was really badly needed. It never used to be law to do these things, it was "Recommended" but not enforced but nowadays we'll fine businesses for not even having their wall mounted extingiushers checked bi-annually, and the message is working. People and businesses are taking Fire Safety seriously now...not like they never should have, but before if you didn't Force many to do it, it didn't get done.

Fire is probably the most deadly of accidental (or purposeful) occurences, and yet it was never taken seriously until just the last few decades! Since the 80's, we have aggressively campaigned for tougher City Bylaws first, then National laws afterwards, and it has probably saved thousands of lives in the last 20 years. Now even regular folk know when something isn't being maintained properly and we get allot of notifications this way, whereas it never used to be reported because people didn't know better. Something as simple as a Bi-annual fire alarm test in an apartment building, and having people know where exits and extinguishers are located in the buildings, has probably saved more lives then we can estimate.

We aggressivly check rental properties in Regina, for maintained fire alarms. It's amazing how often we find the batteries have been pulled from them becuase they go off when you burn toast. But what would you rather have...a small annoyance once in awhile, or an alarm that will save your life when something goes wrong...

I know my answer...what's yours.

This has been a Public Safety Announcement, brought to you by your friendly BestTechie.net Fire Safety Brigade.

[isteve]

The brown smelly water will still will spray out the sprinklers in the event of a fire. They only test the primary portion of the system this is the mechanical part of the system. The brown / black smelly stuff comes from the parts that never get used, other then in a fire.

[JDoors]

... People and businesses are taking Fire Safety seriously now ...

Not any people I've met. Some examples from where I work:

Fire extinguishers used as coat hooks.

Blocked stairwell (repeatedly).

I put out a fire and got in trouble because I used too many extinguishers ("You know, we had to refill all those extinguishers." Oh, didja now?).

Misplaced fire extinguishers.

That blocked stairwell really got my goat. I used a back stairwell and when I opened the door at ground level I discovered the stairwell was entirely filled with kitchen equipment. I couldn't get to the stairs (I guess if I pushed and squeezed and didn't trip over anything I could just make it through).

It's a freakin' fire escape! What Bozos. So I report it (filed an actual report, with photos). The next day it's still blocked. I report it. The next day ... blocked. I go to report it and my boss says, "Are you still complaining about that?"

[robroy]

yeah, I get to go out and witness testing of new systems. We tell people to put a concrete pad at the main drain, if they don't listen them mud and dirty water runs everywhere over their site. Usually by the next year there is a concrete pad there