UPDATED June 26th – Follow up notices were distributed to owner’s and residents. For offsite owners, copies have been mailed. The deadline for us to inspect doors and smoke detectors is July 21st. If you receive one of these notices, please contact the office. We will schedule a time that is convenient for you to inspect.

Operable door closers and smoke detectors are proven to save lives and protect property.

By now, some residents and owners have received reminder notices requesting you reschedule with the office to have maintenance check your main entry door closers and smoke detectors. If for some reason we were unable to enter your unit during the recent life safety inspection and filter change visit, you likely received a notice asking to reschedule. If your door closer had a problem, or if we could not locate an operable smoke detector, notices have gone to you as well.

As a part of our obligations under the City of Chicago Life Safety Ordinance, we will check these devices once a year on your behalf and the buildings. If something is out of whack, we will follow up with you until we have confirmed these devices are in place and operable. Beyond our inspections and follow up efforts, we suggest you check your smoke detectors at least once a month. And keep an eye on your entry door closer. When it is pulled wide open, it should close and latch within 5 seconds.

Checking these devices is vital for everyone’s improved safety. They can save lives. In the event of a fire, a working smoke detector may give you the extra warning you need to get out before it’s too late. Also, a door closer can help give fire fighters and first responders the time they need to get in place before a fire spreads from the unit.

Also, many residents have noticed we no longer replace batteries. That’s right! The old smoke detectors with the 9 volt battery which you can remove when you burn your toast, is a thing of the past, at least at Park Tower. We will no longer replace these. Instead, we now stock detectors with the built in 10 year lithium battery. These are more reliable, and if for some reason they are taken down, they will still work for the life of the battery. Even with these though, anything can go wrong so we still recommend residents test them every 30 days, at least.

If you still have one of the old battery operated detectors, we strongly recommend you consider upgrading to the newer version. They are more reliable. We purchase them in bulk and sell them back close to cost for $30, and will install them with no labor charge. Also, they are available at just about every hardware store if you’re a do-it-yourselfer.

If for some reason we can not get into a unit, owners will eventually receive Notice from the Association. The typical fine if we can not confirm a working smoke detector is present, or if there is an inoperable door closer is $100, and it doubles each month until they are confirmed.

So, these checkups are important. If you get one of these notices, please contact the office.