Running head: FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 1

Transcription

1 Running head: FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 1 Fire Risk Reduction in Allen's Multifamily Dwellings without Fire Sprinkler Protection David Cannaday Allen Fire Rescue, Allen, Texas

2 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 2 Certification Statement I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of others is set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where I have used language, ideas, expressions, or writings of another. Signed:

3 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 3 Abstract In a multifamily dwelling setting, a structure fire not only affects one family, it could potentially alter the lives of many others. Stringent building codes requiring fire resistance construction methods as well as fire protection features like fire sprinkler systems have helped in combating the fire problem in multifamily dwellings. However, prior to 1985, multifamily dwellings in Allen were not required to have sprinkler systems. The Allen Fire Rescue (AFR) problem is City of Allen, Texas residents living in multifamily dwelling complexes without automatic fire sprinklers are at an increased risk of injury or death due to fire. Considering this risk, the purpose of this research was to identify elements to be included in a fire risk reduction program for Allen residents living in a multifamily dwelling complex without automatic fire sprinkler protection. The descriptive research method was used to answer the following questions: (a) What is the current level of fire protection in a multifamily dwelling without an automatic fire sprinkler system? (b) How are levels of protection increased along with their cost? (c) What level of fire department resources is required for implementing a targeted community risk reduction program for multifamily dwellings? Procedures of research included a literature review, interviews, and a questionnaire to residents of Cottonwood Creek Apartments. Results of the research found the current level of fire protection varied from unit to unit and that inspections and alternative engineering methods could be used to enhance the level of protection. Long and short term recommendations for Cottonwood Creek Apartment management, their tenants, and AFR were determined. They include a cooperative inspection program with apartment management and AFR inspectors of fire resistance rated construction, utilizing stove top suppression systems, and a smoke detector distribution program to the tenants of the apartment complex.

4 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Certification Statement 2 Abstract 3 Table of Contents. 4 Introduction.. 5 Background and Significance 6 Literature Review. 8 Procedures 15 Results.. 18 Discussion 22 Recommendations 26 References 29 Appendix A Appendix B 33 Appendix C 35

5 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 5 Fire Risk Reduction in Allen's Multifamily Dwellings without Fire Sprinkler Protection Introduction Multifamily residential fires inherently generate risk of injury, death, and property loss to numerous citizens across the United States. According to national statistics, from 2008 to 2010, fires in multifamily residential buildings accounted for an estimated 102,300 reported fires, 28% of all residential building fires. This resulted in an average loss of 400 lives per year, not to mention 1.2 billion dollars in property loss (U.S. Fire Administration National Fire Data Center [USFA], 2012). A single careless act of improperly extinguishing a cigarette or leaving a cooking pan unattended in the kitchen may be all it takes to ignite a fire that destroys a home, or worse, takes a life. In a multifamily dwelling setting, these same scenarios not only affect one family, but potentially could alter the lives of many others. There are many factors that play into the differences in the fire profiles of multifamily homes verses residential homes. For instance, there are obvious differences such as size and number of occupants. However, there are less obvious differences as well, such as more stringent building codes and scheduled mandatory maintenance for multifamily dwellings. Research shows that fires are more likely to be confined to the point of origin where there are passive fire suppression systems such as fire rated construction, and active fire suppression systems such as automatic sprinkler systems. Utilizing this research in better building practices and codes renders newly constructed buildings safer for those who chose to live there. However, those living in older buildings may not realize the benefit of this recent research as it is often not feasible financially to implement new code regulations such as changes in building materials or retrofitting buildings with automatic sprinkler systems.

6 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 6 The Allen Fire Rescue (AFR) problem is city of Allen, TX residents living in multifamily dwelling complexes without automatic fire sprinklers are at an increased risk of injury or death due to fire. Although the majority of multifamily complexes in Allen were constructed under ordinances that require automatic fire sprinkler protection, there are some facilities that were built prior to the requisite of this important life safety and property conservation feature. Considering this risk, the purpose of this research is to identify elements to be included in a fire risk reduction program for Allen residents living in a multifamily dwelling complex without automatic fire sprinkler protection. The descriptive research method was used to answer the following questions: (a) What is the current level of fire protection in a multifamily dwelling without an automatic fire sprinkler system? (b) How are levels of protection increased along with their cost? (c) What level of fire department resources is required for implementing a targeted community risk reduction program for multifamily dwellings? Background and Significance The City of Allen currently has twenty-six multifamily dwelling complexes within its boundaries. These complexes include apartment buildings, condominiums and townhomes. These complexes ordinarily have multiple buildings that can be up to four stories in height. Families share a common structure that house as few as two living units per building to as many as one hundred and ninety four per building. Clearly, if a fire where to occur in this type of living configuration, the risk of loss increases exponentially. Stringent building codes requiring fire resistance construction methods and materials as well as fire protection features, like fire alarms and fire sprinkler systems, have helped in combating the fire problem in multifamily dwellings. However, prior to 1985, multifamily dwellings in Allen were not obligated to meet these requirements.

7 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 7 Of the twenty-six multifamily complexes in Allen, five complexes were built prior to the adoption of the 1985 Edition of the Uniform Fire Code and Uniform Fire Code Standard which required the installation of fire sprinkler systems in multifamily dwellings. Although the presence of fire sprinkler systems alone does not eliminate the risk of a fire starting in a multifamily dwelling, a properly maintained system does significantly reduce the likelihood of a fire spreading and destroying an entire complex. In 2006, residents of an Allen apartment complex experienced this first hand. A fire at Cottonwood Creek Apartments, 301 North Greenville Avenue Allen, TX, destroyed an entire building and very nearly claimed the life of a resident and an AFR firefighter during a rescue. A few years later in 2011 a fire destroyed over fifty percent of another building in the same complex. AFR records indicate that from February 2006 to October 2011, there have been eight reported building fire incidents at Cottonwood Creek Apartments (Allen Fire Rescue, 2012). The absence of automatic fire sprinkler protection coupled with the number of fire incidents that have occurred at Cottonwood Creek Apartments provide justification from an AFR organizational perspective to conduct risk reduction research for this faction of our community. This research problem is directly related to the Executive Analysis of Community Risk Reduction in that it addresses a local fire problem in Allen, Texas. In addition, the research also supports four of the five United States Fire Administration s strategic goals: reducing risk at the local level through prevention and mitigation, improving local planning and preparedness, improving the fire and emergency services capability for response to and recovery from all hazards, and improving the fire and emergency services professional status (U.S. Fire Administration [USFA], 2012).

8 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 8 Literature Review A topical fire report series produced by FEMA used data collected from reporting fire departments that indicates cooking is the leading cause of multifamily residential fires in the United States. According to statistics, 69% percent of fires are caused by cooking, 6.3% are caused by heating, 3.7 % are due to unintentional or carless acts, 2.9 % are electrical malfunctions, 2.8% are intentional, 2.7 % start because of an open flame, and 2.6% are from equipment misoperation or failure (USFA, 2012). AFR records for Cottonwood Creek Apartments closely resemble national data regarding multifamily residential fires. From the eight reported fires, February 2006 to October 2011, at Cottonwood Creek Apartments, 62.5 % were due to cooking, 25 % were unintentional or careless acts, and the remaining 12.5 % of the fires were undetermined. (Allen Fire Rescue, 2012). Automatic fire sprinklers have a long history of protecting factories and textile mills since the 1800s. The effectiveness of fire sprinklers in preventing property loss led to the requirements in modern building and fire codes. (Wieczorek & Perdue, 2011). It stands to reason that a structure having automatic fire sprinkler protection has a higher level of fire safety than one without. These systems have a high reliability rate for protecting both property and human lives and have been accepted by the building community as an essential building design feature for commercial occupancies (Wieczorek & Perdue, 2011, p. 1). Sprinkler systems have been proven effective for preserving property and reducing fire-related death and injury (Wieczorek & Perdue, 2011). Nevertheless, what are the levels of fire protection that can be achieved in buildings without fire sprinkler protection? One such fire protection provision is a properly constructed

9 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 9 and maintained fire rated barrier. Compartmentation is an effective way to slow the progression of a fire if one were to break out in a multifamily dwelling. This method of fire protection is known as a passive provision and is generally built into the structure so that the building can withstand a fire for a certain period of time (British Gypsum, 2011). A compartment with intact gypsum walls forms a cavity barrier that inhibits the spread of flame and smoke with horizontal and vertical sealed spaces. Thus, allowing more time for occupants to evacuate and increases the ability for firefighters to fight the fire (British Gypsum, 2011). In a structure without an automatic fire sprinkler system, compartmentation is a very important life safety measure that must be maintained properly to work effectively. That is why it is imperative that this passive fire protection method be periodically checked and maintained. Gaps and service penetrations that are not properly sealed defeat the level of fire protection. Building services, such as pipes or ducts, which pass through fire resistant construction, need to be giving serious consideration by properly fire-stopping gaps and imperfections of fit (British Gypsum, 2011). It is important to understand how building construction with regard to fire resistance affects fire spread in a building. Building code provisions are in place to ensure that structures are built in the safest way possible. According to author Diamantes (2003) fire resistance must be understood for implementing code provisions for structural protection. Fire resistance for a building is its ability to resist structural collapse or a buildings resistance to total involvement in fire, also known as fire endurance. This endurance is prescribed in terms of hours (Diamantes, 2003). For buildings such as multifamily dwellings without fire sprinkler protection, this fire endurance is a key factor in stopping a fire from spreading to other units. That is why

10 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 10 maintenance of rated assemblies is crucial. Diamantes (2003) explains that the life of a fire rated assembly like a fire separation wall between rental units is often short due to the likes of plumbers, telephone and cable installers, and electricians that seem driven to run their services through fire separation assemblies. Moreover, it is common for builders looking to cut expenses by not using listed materials or not following specific details such as nail or screw schedules during the construction of a fire rated assembly. There is no level of fire protection that can be put into a building that a big enough hammer cannot take out. Ensuring the maintenance of fireresistance rated assemblies is the responsibility of the fire inspector (Diamantes, 2003, p. 66). This concept of fire endurance and comparmentation is also expounded upon as separation by fire barriers. Well defined boundaries, preferably following the normal division in a building that are properly maintained can prevent a fire from entering other areas by containing it in the area of origin (Malhotra, 1993). The maintenance of the integrity of such compartment boundaries is critical and strict control is needed to ensure that these are not breached by inadequate separation (Malhotra, 1993, p. 3). The International Fire Code (IFC) devotes an entire chapter to fire-resistance-rated construction. If a building has fire rated construction components and they are not maintained nor do not function as intended as far as fire resistance required by the code when the building was constructed, it is considered an unsafe condition (International Fire Code, 2009, Chapter 7). The IFC has a section that defines terms relating to fire resistive construction. The term draftstop is defined as a material, device or construction installed to restrict the movement of air within open spaces of concealed areas of building components such as crawl spaces, floor/ceiling assemblies, roof/ceiling assemblies and attics (International Fire Code, 2009, p. 65).

11 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 11 The IFC further discusses components of fire resistance rated construction such as fire resistant joint system and fire blocking. Essentially a fire resistant joint system is a component of construction using specific materials that have been designed and tested by a listed company such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to withstand fire conditions for a prescribed time period (International Fire Code, 2009, Chapter 7). Fire blocking is defined as materials that are approved for use to resist the free passage of flame to other areas of the building through concealed spaces (International Fire Code, 2009, p. 7). A new section in the 2009 edition of the IFC pertains to the maintenance of such construction. The IFC specifically states that the required fire resistance rating of this type of construction shall be maintained. Furthermore, it states that this construction shall be visually inspected by the owner annually and properly repaired, restored or replaced when damaged, altered, breached or penetrated (International Fire Code, 2009, Chapter 7). Previous studies related to risk reduction in multifamily dwellings specify engineering methods as a means of risk management. A large construction company in Kentucky that performs the management and maintenance operations for over a thousand rental units implemented an engineering method in lieu of fire sprinklers in some of their properties. Their engineering method targeted the cooking fire problem in multifamily dwellings. The company had twelve rental unit fires that interrupted cash flow, put a strain on staff resources, caused tenants to leave, and put the company at risk of tenant lawsuits ("Fire Suppression System Saves," 2011). According to the property management company, the units where they have installed Stove Top FireStops, the cost for repairs to the kitchen went from $25,000 to less than $500 ("Fire Suppression System Saves," 2011). The product is advertised as a Fireman in a can. In actuality it is a can filled with a non-toxic fire suppression agent designed

12 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 12 for traditional vent hoods installed at inches above the cooking surface. It mounts under the vent hood using an industrial-strength magnet and automatically activates once flame reaches the device (stovetopfirestop.com, n.d.). According to Louisville Fire & Safety, a pair of Stove Top FireStops cost only $ If these fire protection devices are bought in volume the unit price is $34.80 (Louisville Fire & Safety, n.d). Engineering methods are effective ways to control fires; however prevention of a fire starting in the first place often times depends on the human factor. Malhotra (1993) suggests that fire prevention starts with humans being responsible and ensuring that accidental fires are not allowed to start. Education and training play an important role in fire prevention. Furthermore, the management of a particular building is responsible for ensuring that people in the building understand that certain risks exist and the actions taken by occupants greatly affect fire safety (Malhotra, 1993). In order to better understand what the current level of fire protection is at Cottonwood Creek Apartments, an interview was conducted with the apartment complex manager. The apartment manager stated that she has been in her position for twenty years at Cottonwood Creek Apartments and was very familiar with maintenance and operations of the facility (J. Millford, personal communication, August 16, 2012). Data collected from the interview revealed that each living unit is equipped with hard wired smoke detectors with battery backup. Smoke detectors are checked for operation prior to a new tenant taking occupancy and when a request for any service related issue for the living unit is received. The property manager also stated that it is the tenant s responsibility to routinely test the smoke detectors on their own (J. Millford, personal communication, August 16, 2012).

13 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 13 Additional information obtained from the interview indicated that fire extinguishers are not provided by the property management company nor are tenants required to obtain one on their own as part of their rental contract. The apartment recognizes the benefit in having an extinguisher and indicated that she herself has one in her own home. However, there are no plans to provide fire extinguishers for the tenants due to cost and not having the means or facilities to train the tenants how to use them (J. Millford, personal communication, August 16, 2012). The interview concluded with a discussion on routine inspections of each building in the complex. A question of how often the integrity of the fire walls in the attic spaces where checked raised some concern. She was unsure of the last time anyone checked or the last time anyone has ever accessed the attic spaces in the individual buildings (J. Millford, personal communication, August 16, 2012). As before mentioned, it is common for service trades such as communication line installers, or plumbers, heating and air conditioning contractors to name a few, to compromise the fire and smoke stopping capability of a fire rated wall. According to the apartment manager, the maintenance personnel for Cottonwood Creek have had no formal training in recognizing proper fire wall construction (J. Millford, personal communication, August 16, 2012). Having identified some alternatives to fire sprinkler systems for multifamily dwellings, it is important to know how levels of fire protection are increased along with their associated cost. One could conclude that the best way to increase the level of fire protection in an existing structure is to retrofit with a fire sprinkler system. Wieczorek & Perdue (2011) report that the average cost for a fire sprinkler system in a newly constructed single-family home in the United States cost $.61 per square foot. Debates over the cost of retrofitting buildings exist with some

14 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 14 discrepancy. The Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board claims that opponents of fire sprinklers inflate the cost of retrofitting sprinklers to $10 per square foot. However, the numbers the advisory board has researched are more in the range of $2.50 to $3.50 per square foot ("Debate Rages On Cost," 2004). In Rockland, Maine inspection laws have been passed to improve fire safety in apartment complexes through inspections. Betts (2011) explains that a Rockland inspection law has resulted in improvements to many units but has also been blamed for imposing significant costs to landlords. The law requires that a residential rental building with three or more units be inspected by the fire department when they are set to be sold, a complaint is filed about conditions of the rental unit, or if problems are seen during an emergency response to a rental property (Betts, 2011). Landlords agree that the inspections make their properties safer, but it also slows down sales. Costs can range between $30,000 and $75,000 depending on the work required from the inspection, with stairwell work being among the most expensive (Betts, 2011). Arguments were made that the inspection requirements reduce the equities of the buildings making it harder for loans to be obtained by the building owners. The other side of the argument proclaimed the inspections provide an economic development tool and actually make the buildings more valuable once the improvements are made. The Rockland Fire Department recommends retrofitting the buildings with fire sprinklers but does not require it. Installing sprinklers would eliminate the need for correcting major repairs but most often owners opt for making the repairs over installing fire sprinklers (Betts, 2011). To identify what level of fire department resources is required for implementing a targeted community risk reduction program for multifamily dwellings a review of best practices in residential fire safety was conducted. The impact of a fire fighter delivered fire prevention

15 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 15 public education program within high-risk sections in Surry, British Columbia, has shown promising results regarding reduction in rates of fires and fire-related casualties (Clare, Garis, Plecas, & Jennigs, 2012). Members of the Surry Fire Department instituted a week long door-todoor campaign in an attempt to prevent, and ultimately reduce the number of home fires and fire injuries. High risk areas where targeted and on-duty fire fighters were instructed to take approximately five minutes per household at the front door. A fire prevention information package was distributed to residents as well as educational information regarding the leading causes of fire in their city. Residents where asked if they had a working smoke detector and if they did not, fire crews offered to install a free smoke alarm prior to completing their visit (Clare et al., 2012). As for what level of fire department resources is required for program delivery, Clare et al., (2012) suggest that a range of local social service infrastructure is involved in delivering such a program. Groups including police, health bodies, voluntary organizations, community outreach teams, and local advocates all working in partnership with the fire service are required to deliver a successful program (Clare et al., 2012). Procedures The purpose of this applied research project is to identify elements to be included in a fire risk reduction program for Allen residents living in a multifamily dwelling complex without automatic fire sprinkler protection. Research and data collection began at the National Fire Academy s Learning Resource Center (LRC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland. However, much of the research information for the literature review was done via internet searches of scholarly websites such as Google Scholar and other similar online search engines. Additionally,

16 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 16 interviews and a questionnaire were used to gather information specifically related to the targeted community risk population. To answer research question one; what is the current level of fire protection in a multifamily dwelling complex without an automatic fire sprinkler system? An interview was conducted with the property manager of Cottonwood Creek apartments. Jessie Millford was selected for the interview because she has been the apartment manager for twenty years at Cottonwood Creek Apartments and is responsible for maintenance and overall operations of the facility. The apartment manager stated that her time in the position as manager at Cottonwood Creek Apartments has provided her ample opportunities to administer maintenance and operations programs for the facility (J. Millford, personal communication, August 16, 2012). The interview took place on August 16, 2012, at the Cottonwood Creek Apartment s Manager s office. The interview was recorded on a digital voice recorder for accuracy in transcribing the responses. The limitations with this personal interview with Ms. Millford include perhaps her personal bias regarding the apartment complex since she is the manager of the facility. She may have felt that if she did not respond in a certain way, it would reflect negatively on her as well as the apartment complex. Another limitation to the personal interview may have involved communication difficulties. Mrs. Millford may have misunderstood certain questions or the interviewer may have misunderstood responses to certain questions. Literature review revealed answers for the second research question of how levels of protection are increased with their cost. Engineering methods were researched and a questionnaire was developed to distribute to the residents of Cottonwood Creek Apartments. The questionnaire was designed to gain information for the first and third research questions.

17 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 17 What is the current level of fire protection in the Cottonwood Creek rental units, and what level of fire department resources is required for implementing a targeted community risk reduction program for multifamily dwellings? The questionnaire was written in English and Spanish. The English version was translated to Spanish using the translate feature in Microsoft Office. A copy of the English version is shown in Appendix B, and the Spanish is shown in Appendix C. The questionnaire was delivered to the Cottonwood Creek Apartment Manager for review and approval before distribution commenced. The intention of the questionnaire was twofold. The questions where formulated to determine if the residents were aware of the level of fire protection they have or do not have, and to determine if the residents have an interest in receiving fire safety education and training from Allen Fire Rescue resources. The questionnaire was distributed by the researcher going door to door of each apartment unit. Two-hundred English and Spanish versions of the questionnaire where rolled up and hung on the door knob of the front door of each apartment unit using rubber bands. This method of distributing the questionnaire provided some opportunity to have face to face interaction with a few of the residents of Cottonwood Creek Apartments and explain the intention of the questionnaire. The questionnaire informed the residents to answer the questions and return the completed form to the apartment manager s office on a certain date. A twelve day period was given to allow the residents time to complete and return the questionnaire. Limitations of the questionnaire include an uncertainty if each resident received the questionnaire and or had any interest in completing and returning it in the time frame given. Other limitations may have been that some of the recipients of the questionnaire may have limited literacy capabilities, or the questionnaire may have been in a language they could not

18 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 18 read. An additional limitation is a sizeable portion of the residents may not have received the questionnaire due to being out of town during the time frame for data collection. Question 2, how are levels of protection increased along with their cost was answered through literature review of active and passive fire protection features, including their level of fire protection according to research and their current market value. Limitations were differences in market value according to geographic area. Another limitation was difficulty obtaining an estimate for retrofitting different types of active and passive fire protection features. Question 3, what level of fire department resources is required for implementing a targeted community risk reduction program for multifamily dwellings, was additionally answered through literature of other fire departments implementing similar type programs. Limitations were lack of published research regarding resource levels required for implementing targeted community risk reduction programs for multifamily dwellings. Results The results of this applied research derived from a literature review, interview questions, and a questionnaire that was distributed to two-hundred rental units at the Cottonwood Creek Apartments. Of the 200 questionnaires distributed, 30 where completed and returned providing a 15 % return rate. Surprisingly, no Spanish versions of the questionnaire were returned. Research of AFR records provided direction for potential risk reduction programs for implementation. Targeting the causes of the fires at Cottonwood Creek Apartments indicated that from the eight reported fires at Cottonwood Creek Apartments, 62.5 % were due to cooking, 25 % were unintentional or careless acts, and the remaining 12.5 % of the fires were undetermined. (Allen Fire Rescue, 2012).

19 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 19 Chart 1 Leading causes of fires at Cottonwood Creek Apartments from February 2006 October 2011 Cooking Unintentional Undetermined Note: Statistical information derived from AFR records (Allen Fire Rescue, 2012). Table 1 Allen Fire Rescue Incident List by Street Address and Type Alarm Date Alarm Time Location Incident Type 02/20/ :12: N. Greenville Building Fire Ave. 10/24/ :03: N. Greenville Building Fire Ave. 12/02/ :09: N. Greenville Building Fire Ave. 04/10/ :21: N. Greenville Building Fire Ave. 08/08/ :54: N. Greenville Building Fire Ave. 06/18/ :01: N. Greenville Building Fire Ave. 09/20/ :37: N. Greenville Building Fire Ave. 10/07/ :49: N. Greenville Building Fire

20 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 20 The first research question was to determine the current level of fire protection in a multifamily dwelling complex without an automatic fire sprinkler system. Research of literature indicated that there are levels of fire protection in structures that are not protected by automatic sprinklers systems. One such method is a passive fire protection provision called compartmentation. This method uses gypsum walls to form a barrier that slows the spread of flame and smoke under fire conditions. A risk reduction engineering method was also discovered in use in multifamily dwellings without automatic fire sprinklers. A cooking fire suppression system known as Stove Top FireStops proved to be an effective method of fire damage reduction for a property owner of multifamily dwellings. Data collected from the interview with the apartment manager and the responses from the questionnaire gave insight as to the level of fire protection present in each apartment unit. The interview with Ms. Millford revealed that each living unit is equipped with hard wired smoke detectors with battery backup. Smoke detectors are checked for operation prior to a new tenant moving in and also when a request for any service related issue for the living unit is received. The property manager also stated that it is the tenant s responsibility to routinely test the smoke detectors on their own (J. Millford, personal communication, August 16, 2012). Additional information obtained from the interview indicated that fire extinguishers are not provided by the property management company nor are tenants required to obtain one on their own as part of their rental contract. There are no plans to provide fire extinguishers for the tenants due to cost and not having the means or facilities to train the tenants how to use them (J. Millford, personal communication, August 16, 2012).

21 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 21 The interview concluded with a discussion on routine inspections of each building in the complex. According to the apartment manager, the maintenance personnel for Cottonwood Creek have had no formal training in recognizing proper fire wall construction (J. Millford, personal communication, August 16, 2012). To see each question and response to the interview, see (Appendix A). The responses from the questionnaire revealed information regarding the level of fire protection currently present in the respondents apartment, and provided insight of how the level of fire protection could increase with additional smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and emergency escape planning. Thirty out of two-hundred questionnaires were returned. The first question asked how many people live in each apartment. Responses ranged from as many as five people in one unit to just one. A total of fifty-three people were accounted for from the participating respondents of the questionnaire. Question two asked if they had a working smoke detector in their apartment. All thirty stated that they had at least one working smoke detector. Question three asked how many smoke detectors were present in their apartment. Twenty-six apartment units had one smoke detector, two apartments had two, and there was one with no response to the question. The question of whether or not there was a smoke detector in each sleeping room revealed that 93% of respondents did not have a smoke detector present in each sleeping room. Sixty-three percent have a smoke detector outside of each sleeping room. Questions six and seven dealt with what power source was available for the smoke detectors. Six-teen respondents, about half, stated they have direct wired detectors, 23% stated they had battery power only, and 23% respondents did not know what type of power source was present. When asked the last time the batteries where changed in their smoke detectors, three respondents said within the last six

22 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 22 months, 16% said never, and 13% did not know when the last time was. Sixty percent did not answer this question. Of the thirty responding tenants, 77 % did not have a fire extinguisher in their apartment. Twenty-two out of thirty, 73%, answered that they did know how to use a fire extinguisher. Twenty respondents, 67%, stated that they knew when it was safe to use a fire extinguisher. Only 4 out of 30 tenants stated that they would like to receive fire extinguisher training from AFR personnel, meaning 87% of the respondents stated that they were not interested in receiving this training from AFR. Questions regarding emergency escape planning revealed that 87% of respondents have an emergency escape plan and 97% feel that every member in their apartment understands what to do in the event of a fire. When asked the last time the emergency plan had been practiced, 9 stated that it had been within the last year, 13 stated that it had never been practiced, and 7 did not respond to the question. However, all respondents indicated that all of their exits are clear of obstructions. The last two questions asked if anyone needed any assistance exiting the building in an emergency. Four respondents answered they did need assistance, 25 did not need assistance, and one did not answer the question. Lastly, the questionnaire revealed that there is one seventyseven year old male living alone that is hearing impaired, and another indicated that they had three pets in their apartment. Both respondents gave their apartment unit number. Discussion Research of AFR records indicated that there is a need for fire risk reduction at Cottonwood Creek Apartments. AFR records revealed that from February 2006 to October 2011, there have been eight reported building fire incidents at Cottonwood Creek Apartments

23 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 23 (Allen Fire Rescue, 2012). Effective community risk reduction starts with knowing what the problem is and having a clear approach to eliminating or reducing the problem. AFR records indicated the eight reported fires at Cottonwood Creek Apartments, 62.5 % were due to cooking, 25 % were unintentional or careless acts, and the remaining 12.5 % of the fires were undetermined. (Allen Fire Rescue, 2012). When compared to national statistics, fires at Cottonwood Creek Apartments closely match statistics of nationally reported fires in similar occupancies. According to national statistics, sixty-nine percent of fires are caused by cooking, 6.3% are caused by heating, 3.7 % are due to unintentional or carless acts, 2.9 % are electrical malfunctions, 2.8% are intentional, 2.7 % start because of an open flame, and 2.6% are from equipment misoperation or failure (USFA, 2012). The research process for fire risk reduction in one of Allen s multifamily living complexes created an opportunity to discover what fire protection options are available when automatic fire sprinklers are not present. Passive fire protection is one such method that is in place at Cottonwood Creek Apartments. Fire resistive construction called compartmentation is the method of construction built into the structure so that a building can withstand fire for a certain period of time (British Gypsum, 2011). Diamantes (2003) describes fire resistance construction is a building s ability to resist structural collapse or a building s resistance to total involvement in fire, also known as fire endurance. Well defined boundaries normally following the division in a building that are properly maintained can prevent a fire from entering other areas by containing it in the area of origin (Malhotra, 1993). The IFC requirement of maintaining fire resistance rated construction supports the importance of this fire protection method. If a building has fire rated construction components

24 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 24 and they are not maintained nor do not function as intended as far as fire resistance required by the code when the building was constructed, it is considered an unsafe condition (International Fire Code, 2009, Chapter 7). The interview and questionnaire allowed the researcher to find out what the current level of fire protection is present for the targeted risk population. Interviewing the apartment manager revealed that each apartment unit had at least one hard-wired smoke detector with battery backup (J. Millford, personal communication, August 16, 2012). Furthermore, the interview discovered that a procedure was in place for maintenance of the smoke detectors as well as assurance that they are operational on a regular basis. Smoke detectors are checked for operation prior to a new tenant taking occupancy and when a request for any service related issue for the living unit is received. It is also the tenant s responsibility to routinely test the smoke detectors on their own (J. Millford, personal communication, August 16, 2012). However, results from the questionnaire contradicted the information regarding all units having hard-wired smoke detectors in every unit. Questions six and seven of the questionnaire dealt with what power source was available for the smoke detectors. Six-teen units have direct wired detectors, seven where battery power only and seven respondents did not know what type of power source was present. This contradiction may be due to a lack of understanding by the tenant as to what type of smoke detector they have. Fire extinguishers are not provided by the management of the complex. However, the questionnaire indicated that some of the tenants do own a fire extinguisher that they have provided for their own safety. The questionnaire determined that there was little interest from the tenants receiving fire extinguisher training from AFR personnel. Only 13% of the responding

25 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 25 tenants where interested in fire extinguisher training. A majority of the respondents, 73% indicated that they knew how to use an extinguisher. Tenants stating they had an emergency escape plan was 86% according to questionnaire results. However, only 3% of the respondents said they have practiced their emergency escape plan within the last year. The other 97% either have not practiced an emergency escape plan or do not have one. The implications for AFR from the results of data from the interview and questionnaire indicate that most of the risk reduction activities will involve an educational component. The results were promising regarding the number of tenants that had an emergency escape plan. However, it is still an unknown if the level of preparedness is accurate due to the number of people who did not respond to the questionnaire. Therefore, AFR must seek ways to encourage participation in fire safety. Risk reduction through education is a cost effective way to improve the safety of the residents at Cottonwood Creek. Engineering methods for increasing the level of fire protection is another option, yet their associated costs are a factor for the stakeholders for Cottonwood Creek Apartments. Sprinkler systems have been proven effective for preserving property and reducing fire-related death and injury (Wieczorek & Perdue, 2011). Retrofitting the apartments with sprinklers would be a considerable expense and it would also be an inconvenience to the tenant during the installation. Therefore, other engineering methods could prove to be beneficial in reducing the fire risk. The leading causes of fires that have occurred at Cottonwood Creek have been related to cooking. Research from literature revealed an effective measure to reduce fire loss with Stove Top FireStops. According to a property management company that has installed these units, the cost for repairs to the kitchen after a stove top kitchen fire went from $25,000 to less than $500

26 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 26 ("Fire Suppression System Saves," 2011). While this method of fire protection does not stop fires from occurring, it does reduce the level of property damage. Again the educational factor comes into play, where AFR can address the cooking fire problem through risk reduction training pertaining to safe cooking practices. The organizational implications of this study include reallocation of department resources in order to provide proactive fire preventions services. Consequently, successful implementation of a risk reduction program can increase the level of fire protection while reducing the risk to tenants of Cottonwood Creek Apartments. This would subsequently reduce the risk of injury and death to firefighters by reducing fire incidences at this location. Recommendations Based on the results of this research, elements have been identified that can be included in a fire risk reduction program for the residents living in Cottonwood Creek Apartments. Long and short term recommendations for Cottonwood Creek Apartment management, their tenants, and AFR are as follows. Cottonwood Creek management in conjunction with AFR should develop an inspection program that targets the fire rated construction in the apartment buildings. This will entail accessing the attic spaces of each building and perform routine visual inspections to ensure that the fire rated construction is intact. It is recommended that this is done specifically after repair work has been done or after any other construction trade such as telecommunication contractors have performed a new installation for a tenant. Permanently marking the fire barriers in the attic spaces will help to identify the fire rated construction and that it should not be compromised unless it is properly repaired, restored or replaced.

27 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 27 National statistics as well as AFR records indicate that the leading causes of fires in multifamily dwellings are from cooking fires. Therefore, it is recommended that each rental unit be equipped with a kitchen hood suppression system. A cost effective engineering method of fire protection was found during research of alternative methods of fire protection. Stove Top FireStop canisters can be purchased by each tenant for a minimal price; under $50.00 for two canisters. Furthermore, Cottonwood Creek management can help the tenants by ordering these units in bulk to receive a discounted price. These devices have proven to be an effective way to minimize fire related destruction due to stove top kitchen fires. Repair costs after fires are considerably cheaper due to the fire being contained and confined to stovetop ( Fire Suppression Systems Saves, 2011). The results of the questionnaire revealed that not all of the rental units were equipped with a smoke detector in every bedroom. AFR should develop a smoke detector giveaway program in cooperation with Cottonwood Creek Management to ensure that each rental unit has working smoke detectors in every bedroom of the apartment. AFR should research possible grant programs and identify potential financial partners or donation methods to help fund the smoke detector giveaway program and assist with funding for stovetop suppression systems. AFR should develop an educational program based on safe cooking practices for the tenants of Cottonwood Creek Apartments. The stovetop suppression units are an important fire protection measure. However, if education can be provided and received by the tenants, the optimal outcome is for a fire to never occur. Further research will be necessary to identify specific elements of this public education program. It is also recommended that AFR take legislative measures to increase the level of fire protection in multifamily buildings without automatic fire sprinklers. If there is a fire in an

28 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 28 unprotected building and over 50% of the structure is damaged due the fire, an ordinance should be developed to require that the building is retrofitted with an automatic fire sprinkler system and monitored fire alarm system. The implementation of a fire risk reduction program for this targeted community risk faction should provide benefit to Cottonwood Creek residents and management as well as AFR. Lives will be saved, property will be saved, and risk to fire fighters will be reduced if fires do not occur at Cottonwood Creek Apartments. Researchers or other readers wishing to replicate some or all of this study for their own organization or risk group are encouraged to narrow the research to a specific risk reduction tactic. It is recommended that one risk reduction strategy is selected and research is performed for the effectiveness and compatibility to a specific community risk population.

29 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 29 References Allen Fire Rescue (2012). FIREHOUSE Software [Computer Software]. Allen, Texas: Allen Fire Rescue. Betts, S. (2011, May 7). Apartment inspection law improves safety but costs landlords, slows markets [Newsgroup comment]. Retrieved from British Gypsum. (2011). Fire protection theory. In Fire book (p. 8-21). Retrieved from Clare, J., Garis, L., Plecas, D., & Jennigs, C. (2012). Reduced frequency and severity of residential fires following delivery of fire prevention education by on-duty fire fighters Cluster randomized controlled study. Journal of Safety Research, 43, Retrieved from main.pdf?_tid=e388a55e e aab0f02&acdnat= _d42cebf0befb a0c13c5f6673f Debate rages on cost of fire sprinkler retrofits. (2004, February). Business Insights: Essentials. Retrieved from Diamantes, D. (2003). Fire prevention: Inspection and code enforcement (2nd ed.). Albany, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. Fire suppression system save Kentucky apartment builder and property manager $ (2011, April). MultiUnitLiving.com. Retrieved from

30 FIRE RISK REDUCTION IN ALLEN'S MULTIFAMILY 30 fde6325d0377/fire-suppression-system-saves-kentucky-apartment-builder-and- Property-Manager-$300,000.aspx International Fire Code. (2009). Country Club Hills, IL: International Code Council. Louisville Fire & Safety. (n.d). Malhotra, H. L. (1993). Proposed code for fire safety in buildings for the state of Sao Paulo. Retrieved from U.S. Fire Administration. (2011, September 29). Strategic plan. Retrieved from U.S. Fire Administration National Fire Data Center. (2012, May). Multifamily Residential Building Fires ( ). Topical Fire Report Series, 13(5), Retrieved from Wieczorek, T., & Perdue, A. (2011). The debate about residential fire sprinklers. PM Magazine. Advance online publication. Retrieved from and%20alan%20perdue&title=the%20debate%20about%20residential%20fire%20spr inklers&subtitle= stovetopfirestop.com. (n.d.).