In the middle of the cold snap, the Ocean City Fire Marshal visited the members of the Delmarva Condo Managers Association. We enjoyed an excellent chicken and dumplings luncheon supplied by the great people at The Princess Royale, while Mr. Whittington asked us to help spread the word on what we all can do to protect property during bad weather.
1. If your community manager has changed, or you are self-managed and your contact person has changed, please inform the Fire Marshal! For the Ocean City area, they can be reached by phone at 410-289-8783! Let them know who to contact during an emergency, as this helps response time in an emergency – this could save lives and save property!
2. Did you rekey your building or have a new code set-up for your elevator? In the case of an emergency, your local fire department and emergency services will need access into to the building. In Ocean City, be sure to call the shift commander at 443-235-4415! He is able to open the knox box get the new keys in place. This step can save the firefighters from having to use the fancy axes to knock down your doors.
3. Have you checked the sprinkler pump room? Be sure to check to that there is no insulation hanging, vents are fully closed, and that the heat is working properly. Are you still using a baseboard electric strip? You should consider upgrading to forced air, as the winter temperatures can overwhelm a small heater quickly.
4. Generators require maintenance on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis. If the power goes out, life safety generators need to operate to their full capability. Regular maintenance will ensure that the equipment functions correctly and safely.
Thank you to Ryan for taking the time out of his busy schedule to inform us of these important topics! As always, we appreciate your department's helpful safety tips. If you have questions regarding fire safety, please call the OC fire marshal at 410-289-8783. They are always happy to assist!
Thanks for reading.
