Philadelphia Fire Department Response to Your Building
Being prepared when the Fire Department responds to your building will assist them in performing their duties more efficiently. The link below includes items that building owners, managers and tenants can do to assist the Fire Department. There is also a list of items that can increase fire safety in your building and a list of items to reduce unnecessary smoke detector activations.
- FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSES TO YOUR BUILDING (pdf).
- Shelter in Place (doc).
- Questions and Answers Regarding Sheltering-in-Place Requirements
PHILADELPHIA FIRE CODE:
SHELTERING-IN-PLACE REQUIREMENTS
The Philadelphia Fire Code requires various buildings to develop a plan to shelter occupants inside the building in the event of a hazardous material, biological or other emergency outside the building. The following are the requirements and a sample shelter-in-place plan that building owners can use a guide in preparing the plan for their building. Following the sample plan are questions asked by building owners regarding shelter-in-place requirements in the Fire Code. Each question is followed by an answer prepared by the Fire Department and the Department of Licenses and Inspections. The questions and answers are intended to interpret and clarify the requirements in the Fire Code. Persons having additional questions can call the Fire Department’s Fire Code Unit at 215-686-1356.
F-409.1 General. All occupancy groups and buildings that are required to have a fire safety and evacuation plan [See F-404.2 listed below.] shall also prepare and maintain a specific plan for sheltering occupants in place (inside the building). The plan shall be placed into effect when notified by local, state or federal officials that an outdoor hazardous materials or biological emergency exists that makes it unsafe for occupants to leave buildings.
F-409.2 Shelter-in-place plan. Shelter-in-place plans shall provide for the safety of building occupants from outdoor contaminants. Building managers shall identify suitable pre-determined shelter rooms or areas with as few windows, vents and doors as possible. Shelter areas shall contain a water supply for both drinking and toilet facilities. Plans shall require that all doors and windows be shut (and locked where locking provides a tighter seal) and all air handling equipment (heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems) be shut down. To provide necessary protection, sealing windows, doors and vents with tape is permitted.
F-409.3 All clear announcement. When an all clear message is announced, building managers shall direct people in shelter areas to proceed to the exterior of the building, open all windows and doors and turn on air handling equipment to facilitate exhausting any contaminants that have infiltrated the building. Further instructions will be available via radio and television broadcasts. F-409.4 Training. A copy of the shelter-in-place plan shall be given to all employees and tenants. Employees required to assist in carrying out the plan shall receive training at least annually. A record of all training shall be maintained at the building.
F-409.5 Shelter-in-place drills. A shelter-in-place drill shall be conducted once annually for all occupancies required to have a plan and twice annually for Group E (educational) occupancies. Each required shelter-in-place drill for Group E occupancies can be substituted for one fire drill.
F-404.2. Fire safety and evacuation plan. A fire safety and evacuation plan [and a shelter-in-place plan] shall be prepared and maintained for the following occupancies and buildings:
- High-rise buildings.
- Assembly, other than those used exclusively for purposes of religious worship that have an occupant load less than 2,000.
- Educational.
- High hazard.
- Institutional.
- Hotel, motels and short term (30 days or less) boarding homes.
- Residential care/assisted living facilities with more than five occupants excluding staff.
- Mercantile buildings having an occupant load of 500 or more persons or more than 100 persons above or below the lowest level of exit discharge.
- Covered malls exceeding 50,000 square feet in aggregate floor area.
- Underground buildings.
- Buildings with atriums with an assembly, educational or mercantile occupancy.
PHOENIX HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER SHELTER-IN-PLACE PLAN (Sample Plan)
Purpose of Plan
The Philadelphia Fire Code requires various buildings to develop a plan to shelter occupants inside the building in the event of a hazardous material, biological or other emergency outside the building. The purpose of the shelter-in-place plan is to safeguard occupants during an emergency outside the building by preventing or limiting the infiltration of hazardous materials into the building by closing windows and doors and shutting off air handling/HVAC systems, and by moving occupants away from perimeter windows and doors to safer locations in the building. Where possible these locations will be near restrooms. Once each year a shelter-in-place drill will be conducted to ensure occupants know what to do and where to go during an emergency. Persons responsible for performing duties during the emergency will be provided with training.
Procedures
Building management will announce when a shelter-in-place emergency is occurring. When an emergency is announced occupants should immediately go to their designated shelter location. Occupants that have portable radios or cell phones should take them with them. Tune radios to news stations to listen for instructions and updates related to the emergency. Handicapped persons requiring assistance will be assisted to their shelter location.
The following persons are responsible at the onset of an emergency to ensure that exterior doors and windows are closed and air-handling systems are shut down:
- Basement - Engineer John Matthews - shut down of air handling systems.
- First Floor — John Jones and Steven Williams — close doors and windows.
Shelter Locations
- First Floor - occupants will go to the conference room.
- Second Floor - occupants will go to Room 202.
Handicapped Persons
The following persons are handicapped and will be assisted by the following persons:
- Eighth Floor, Apartment 8-C - Claire Johnson (wheelchair bound) will be assisted by Herman Little.
All Clear
When notified that the emergency is over, building management will direct occupants outdoors until building air-handling systems are operated to remove any contaminants.
Annual Shelter-In-Place Drill
The annual shelter-in-place drill will be conducted on Saturday, Julyl 5th at 11:00 a.m.
If you have any questions please call the rental office at 215-804-9000.
