On March 27, via ZOOM Meetings Online, we held our Resident Life Safety Town Hall Meeting. Thank you to the Owners, Residents, Board Members and Park Tower Employees who attended the meeting.

We covered life safety features of the building, and procedures recommended to be followed in the event of Fires, Floods, Severe Weather, Active Shooters, Pest Infestations, and More. We also answered great questions from folks in attendance and were even given suggestions to include with future edits of our Emergency Plan and Procedures.

We did not have time to cover everything possible, so as promised below is the full text of our Resident Plan. PLEASE FEEL FREE – If you have questions, concerns or suggestions, no question or thought is worth ignoring. Let us know via e-mail at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.

(For a PDF Version of this document, Click Here)

RESIDENTS’ GUIDELINES FOR EMERGENCIES

BASIC EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

This section provides easy-to-follow instructions in case of an emergency. A separate emergency handbook containing detailed information is available online and from the management office. Residents are advised to notify the management office of any disabilities or special needs to arrange for assistance in the event an evacuation is necessary.

THE CALM, C – A – L – M, METHOD

C – Call 911.

A – Alert building and/or fellow residents.

L – Listen for instructions.

M – Move quickly when instructed to evacuate.

FIRE AND SMOKE

• Call 911. Provide as much information as possible about the situation such as address, floor, unit number, door temperature (cool or hot to the touch), presence of smoke or flame, trouble breathing, disability, etc.
• If unaware where the fire originated, stay inside the unit and await instructions from authorized personnel and first responders. When time permits, refer to Cable Channel 195 for additional information. If the fire is inside the unit, exit closing the door, but leaving it unlocked.
• If directed, or in immediate danger, evacuate.
• Leave behind any belongings.
• Do not lock your door.
• Use stairs. DO NOT use the elevator.

ILLNESS OR INJURY

• Call 911. Provide location details and report the illness or injury.
• Call the front desk/lobby or the management office to assure proper coordination.

POWER FAILURE

• Remain inside the unit.
• Locate a flashlight. DO NOT light candles due to a potential fire hazard.
• Follow the C – A – L – M method, if directed to evacuate.

SEVERE WEATHER

• Move away from windows and glass in the event of severe thunderstorms or high winds. Corridors and interior stairwell are considered the safest place in the building.

THREATS (Bomb Threats, Crime and Civil Disturbance)

• Call 911 to report concern. Follow operator instructions.
• Call the front desk/lobby or the management office to assure  proper  coordination.

Life safety meetings for residents may be scheduled up to twice per year. Additional information is available from the management office by request. 

SPECIFIC PROCEDURES FOR EMERGENCIES

These guidelines address the Park Tower Condominium’s residents’ role in reporting, addressing and responding to emergency situations.   The procedures have been documented for your safety and to protect your property.  Please review all procedures thoroughly.  Keep this document in a convenient location for reference during real emergencies.  In most emergency situations, the largest obstacle and threat to personal safety is panic. Our best advice is to stay calm and be aware of your surroundings. Follow any instructions from the staff and public safety authorities to the best of your abilities.  If you become aware of an emergency situation, report it immediately according to the instructions that follow.

FOR YOUR PROTECTION

The Park Tower is designed with many safety features for your protection. These include:

• Fire resistive floors and walls
• Fire resistive stairwells
• Hard-wired elevator recall system
• Automatic sprinklers in the garage and trash chute
• Fire stand-pipes and multiple extinguishers on each floor
• Emergency lighting
• Resident Fire Safety Directors and Deputies are designated to help the staff and management coordinate with residents and the authorities

The Park Tower Condominium’s management and staff are here to assist you during emergencies and have been trained on specific procedures that will enhance your safety and building security.  Please follow their instructions and those of our public safety representatives in the event of an emergency.

Emergency Contact Information

It is vital that you keep your emergency contact information updated with Management. For that purpose you will find a copy of the form used to keep the Association’s records in order and as up to date as possible. It is wise to complete this form annually, or whenever any portion of your contact information has changed. There is space for you to indicate individuals we can contact in the event of an emergency. We recommend friends or family, and specifically someone you can trust to help address any emergency situation that could arise.

We also ask, for your personal safety, to advise us if there is anything at all that could be a cause of concern during an emergency, specifically if you have any special needs or conditions that we should be aware of. There is space available on the form for this purpose.

In addition, Management maintains an e-mail list to which regular news and notices are sent. This includes announcements and instructions related to emergencies. To the extent possible, this list will be utilized to send “e-blasts” to residents during and after emergencies. You can join this e-mail list by contacting the office at 773-769-3250 or sending a request to parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com. 

(For electronic version of this form, Click Here) 

Resident Contact Information Form

 Name(s):                                                                                                            

Mailing Address:                                                                                                             

Park Tower Unit:                                        

RESIDENT CONTACT INFORMATION

Home:                                                                                                            

Work:                                                                                                             

Cell:                                                                                                             

Email:                                                                                                            

Typically used for Emergencies, News and Notices, would you like to join the Park Tower E-Blast List?              YES          NO       (Circle One)                   

Emergency Contact Names and Numbers

1. Name:                                                                                                            

Relationship:                                                                                                              

Phone:                                                 Alternate Phone:                                            

2. Name:                                                                                                            

Relationship:                                                                                                              

Phone:                                                 Alternate Phone:                                            

In the event of an emergency, would you require any special assistance?  If so please describe:

In order to be better prepared to assist all residents in case of an emergency, please complete and return to the management office. You can also fax it to 773-769-0047 or e-mail it to parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.

Mobility Impaired Building Occupants:

In the event of an emergency, such as anything described in this hand out, if you believe you may need assistance, inform us. On the contact information form, fill out the relevant section.The authorities and authorized personnel only will receive a handbook including a list of occupants who have self-identified they are in need of assistance. In the event there is an evacuation or any major incident, where possible, first responders or volunteers will be assigned to assist these residents.  If they are not available, when possible the FSD or DFSD shall divide the list up among those available employees and volunteers who will proceed to the individual floors to help the residents down the stairwells.

An Emergency Happens…What Should You Do?

The following are the safest procedures we can suggest during various possible emergencies. These procedures have been coordinated with the Chicago Police and Fire Departments, other building occupants, the Property Manager and staff. Your adherence with these procedures will assist with a fast and consistent response and maximize safety during emergencies.

ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND – The building is equipped with a one way/two way communication system. Via speakers throughout the hallways, authorized personnel and first responders may make announcements if needed during an emergency. And using phones in the stairwells every 5 floors, they are able to communicate with the lobby to coordinate activities. To the extent possible, personnel will repeat messages regularly. Please follow any instructions given, unless it is physically impossible to do so. If you are unable to do so, contact 911, explain the situation and await instructions.

Active Shooter or Hostile Individual

(Someone carrying a gun, actively shooting or otherwise brandishing or threatening to use a weapon or acting in a violent manner.)

An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.

Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims.

Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.

HOW TO RESPOND WHEN AN ACTIVE SHOOTER IS IN YOUR VICINITY

Quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life.  The following procedures are guidelines to help you plan in advance, but in the moment of an incident they can be influenced by your location, surroundings and the amount of time you have to make choices. Very often this may be minutes or seconds, so plan ahead.

Evacuate

If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises.  Be sure to:

• Have an escape route and plan in mind
• Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow
• Leave your belongings behind
• Help others escape, if possible
• Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be
• Keep your hands visible
• Follow the instructions of any police officers
• Do not attempt to move wounded people
• Call 911 when you are safe

Hide out

If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should:

• Be out of the active shooter’s view
• Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (i.e., an office with a closed and locked door)
• Not trap you or restrict your options for movement
• Don’t leave your hide out without an ID being presented! Typically, the authorities will be responding, and they should be able to share an ID under or through a door, or you can confirm an all clear by contacting 911.

To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place:

• Lock the door
• Blockade the door with heavy furniture

If the active shooter is nearby:

• Lock the door
• Silence your cell phone and/or pager
• Turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions)
• Hide behind large items (i.e., cabinets, desks)
• Remain quiet

If evacuation and hiding out are not possible:

• Remain calm
• Dial 911, if possible, to alert police to the active shooter’s location
• If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen

Take action against the active shooter AS A LAST RESORT

As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:

• Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her
• Throwing items and improvising weapons
• Yelling
• Committing to your actions 

HOW TO RESPOND WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVES

Law enforcement’s purpose is to stop the active shooter as soon as possible.  Officers will proceed directly to the area in which the last shots were heard.

• Officers usually arrive in teams of four (4)
• Officers may wear regular patrol uniforms or external bulletproof vests, Kevlar helmets, and other tactical equipment
• Officers may be armed with rifles, shotguns, handguns
• Officers may use pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation
• Officers may shout commands, and may push individuals to the ground for their safety

How to react when law enforcement arrives:

• Remain calm, and follow officers’ instructions
• Put down any items in your hands (i.e., bags, jackets)
• Immediately raise hands and spread fingers
• Keep hands visible at all times
• Avoid making quick movements toward officers such as holding on to them for safety
• Avoid pointing, screaming and/or yelling
• Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when evacuating, just proceed in the direction from which officers are entering the premises

Information to provide to law enforcement or 911 operator:

• Location of the active shooter
• Number of shooters, if more than one
• Physical description of shooter/s
• Number and type of weapons held by the shooter/s
• Number of potential victims at the location

The first officers to arrive to the scene will not stop to help injured persons.  Expect rescue teams comprised of additional officers and emergency medical personnel to follow the initial officers. These rescue teams will treat and remove any injured persons. They may also call upon able-bodied individuals to assist in removing the wounded from the premises.

Once you have reached a safe location or an assembly point, you will likely be held in that area by law enforcement until the situation is under control, and all witnesses have been identified and questioned.  Do not leave until law enforcement authorities have instructed you to do so.

Electrical Outages

Stay inside your apartment unless instructed by the authorities, building management or personnel, and:

• Locate your personal flashlight
• Do not light candles (fire safety hazard)
• Do not call the Doorman because this will tie up the phone line

During an electrical outage, the safest place is in your apartment where you will neither tie up emergency elevators nor disturb emergency responders.  For prolonged or widespread outages beyond the Park Tower, you are advised to have a small, battery operated radio or TV to receive news and updates.   Park Tower management and staff may use the phones (if operational) to broadcast messages as needed.

Fire Emergencies

REMEMBER C.A.L.M. Call 911, Alert Management, Listen for instructions, Move quickly. In the event you suspect or detect fire or smoke near your apartment:

• DO NOT PANIC! It is important that you act, but act quickly, calmly and with purpose.
• Call the Fire Department immediately, dial 911. Stay calm, answer all questions as quickly and thoroughly as possible. State the address, the floor, the apartment number and what you have seen. Don’t assume that someone else has already called. Generally, they will want to know the following first, then your observations:

Location:                     Park Tower Condo Association

Street Address:            5415 North Sheridan Rd.

Your Name:                _________________

Floor and Apt#:            _________________

• IN GENERAL, in a high rise, the safest place to be in an emergency including a fire, is your unit. But in the event you are in immediate danger or are advised to evacuate, before you attempt to leave your apartment, feel the door with the back of your hand. If the door feels warm to the touch within five seconds, DO NOT OPEN IT. This indicates the presence of a dangerous fire condition in the corridor.
• If the door is not warm to the touch, carefully open it a few inches to check for the possible presence of smoke in the corridor.
• If you determine that the corridor can be used, leave your unit and DO NOT LOCK THE DOOR. Attempt to alert but do everything you can not to panic occupants of the other apartments on your floor, and proceed to the closest exit stairway. Close, but do not lock, your apartment door. Close the stairway door behind you. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THE ELEVATORS!
• If your apartment door is warm or if there is heavy smoke in the corridor, keep the door closed. Use a wet towel to seal the cracks around the door and any other place where smoke appears to be entering. If possible remove belongings away from the door, especially if they are combustible. If smoke is coming through and the door is not warm to the touch, duct tape can be used to seal the cracks, and place a wet towel at the crack along the bottom of the door.
• If smoke enters your apartment, open a window slightly and remain close to the floor. However, the possibility exists that smoke or fire from the outside may spread to your apartment through the window. If this condition occurs, close your windows and attempt to remove any combustibles at once, i.e. drapes, shades, etc.
• KNOW IN ADVANCE THE DIRECTION AND LOCATION OF THE NEAREST STAIRWELL, but it is always good to know your alternate route as well! Take a moment to count the number of paces (single steps) and doors between your apartment and both the North and South stairs as depicted on the attached “Tower Core Layout” floor plan. In the event the hall is filled with smoke, this will help you locate the nearest exit.
• Smoke and fire are always possible especially in kitchens. It is recommended to purchase an ABC rated fire extinguisher to store in the kitchen in an easily accessible location for use in attempting to extinguish small fires or potential fires.
• If a fire occurs in your apartment and you are not able to smother the fire or extinguish it with your private fire extinguisher, you should call 911 and leave your unit.
• If the fire is in your unit, exit closing your door completely (DO NOT LOCK THE DOOR) and exit using stairwells, not elevators, closing all doors behind you.
• Remain in your apartment if it is unclear that it is safe to travel in the hallways to exit the stairs.
• Do not break windows or jump from windows.
• Time permitting, if you detect smoke or fire, also contact Management or the lobby door station quickly at 773-769-3250, 773-769-3083.
• Do not stop to collect belongings because precious time can be lost. Do not return to your apartment until you are told to do so.
• If time avails, and in the event you remain in your unit, you can turn to the Building Management Station, RCN channel 195. If Management is present and time is available, we will attempt to contact you via this medium with instructions and information. We will also send e-blast announcements when possible, if you are on our list – so check your e-mail as well. 

Smoke or Other Fires

REMEMBER C.A.L.M. Call 911, Alert Management, Listen for instructions, Move quickly. If you smell smoke, stay inside your apartment. You should keep your key nearby at all times, including at night (on your night stand).  You will want to take your key with you during emergencies so that you can return to your apartment, if necessary.  The building is designed for occupants to stay in their homes on uninvolved floors rather than evacuate. Full building evacuation is oftentimes impractical and unnecessary.

You should also keep the following items nearby that you will find useful:

• Flash light
• Whistle
• Duct tape
• Grease pen (to write on windows)
• Wet wash cloth

If you observe heavy smoke in the corridor, return to your apartment, call 911 and report the fire as described previously. Wait in your apartment to receive instructions by phone, in person or via channel 195.  If smoke begins to infiltrate through your door, place wet towels at the base of your hallway door and use duct tape to seal cracks around the door.

If you are instructed to evacuate the floor, to the extent possible, crawl on your hands and knees below the smoke and breathe through your nose (not your mouth) to the exit. The wet wash cloth can be used to cover your face and help you breath. TAKE THE STAIRS – NEVER USE THE ELEVATORS.

Basic Kitchen Fire and Burn Safety

Watch What You Heat

• The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.
• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
• Stay alert! To prevent cooking fires, you have to be alert. You won’t be if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.

Keep Things That Can Catch Fire and Heat Sources Apart

• Keep anything that can catch fire – potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels, or curtains – away from your stovetop.
• Keep the stovetop, burners, and oven clean.
• Keep pets off cooking surfaces and nearby countertops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.
• Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire if it comes into contact with a gas flame or electric burner.

If Your Clothes Catch Fire

If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop and roll. Stop immediately, drop to the ground and cover your face with your hands. Roll over and over or back and forth to put out the fire. Immediately cool the burn with cool water for 3 to 5 minutes and cover with a clean, dry cloth. Don’t apply creams, ointments, sprays or other home remedies. 

Use Equipment for Intended Purposes Only

Cook only with equipment designed and intended for cooking, and heat your   home only with equipment designed and intended for heating. There is additional    danger of fire, injury, or death if equipment is used for a purpose for which it was    not intended. 

Protect Children from Scalds and Burns

• Young children are at high risk of being burned by hot food and liquids. Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove.
• Keep young children at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from any place where hot food or drink is being prepared or carried. Keep hot foods and liquids away from table and counter edges.
• When young children are present, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible.
• Never hold a child while cooking, drinking, or carrying hot foods or liquids.
• Teach children that hot things burn.
• When children are old enough, teach them to cook safely. Supervise them closely.

Prevent Scalds and Burns

• To prevent spills due to overturned appliances containing hot food or liquids, use the back burner when possible and/or turn pot handles away from the stove’s edge. All appliance cords need to be kept coiled and away from counter edges.
• Use oven mitts or potholders when moving hot food from ovens, microwave ovens, or stovetops. Never use wet oven mitts or potholders as they can cause scald burns.
• Replace old or worn oven mitts.
• Treat a burn right away, putting it in cool water. Cool the burn for 3 to 5 minutes. If the burn is bigger than your fist or if you have any questions about how to treat it, seek medical attention right away.

Install and Use Microwave Ovens Safely

• Place or install the microwave oven at a safe height, within easy reach of all users. The face of the person using the microwave oven should always be higher than the front of the microwave oven door. This is to prevent hot food or liquid from spilling onto a user’s face or body from above and to prevent the microwave oven itself from falling onto a user.
• Never use aluminum foil or metal objects in a microwave oven. They can cause a fire and damage the oven.
• Heat food only in containers or dishes that are safe for microwave use.
• Open heated food containers slowly away from the face to avoid steam burns. Hot steam escaping from the container or food can cause burns.
• Foods heat unevenly in microwave ovens. Stir and test before eating.

How and When to Fight Cooking Fires

• When in doubt, just get out. When you leave, close the door behind you (unlocked) to help contain the fire. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you leave.
• If you do try to fight the fire, be sure others are already getting out and you have a clear path to the exit.
• Always keep an oven mitt and a lid nearby when you are cooking. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan (make sure you are wearing the oven mitt). Turn off the burner. Do not move the pan. To keep the fire from restarting, leave the lid on until the pan is completely cool.
• In case of an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing.

Weather Emergencies

In the event of the potential for severe weather (hail, tornadoes, frequent lightning, blizzards) we recommend that you follow radio or televised instructions.  In the event of severe thunderstorms, or high wind events, the safest place to take refuge is in an interior room or corridor away from windows and glass. In especially severe weather events, the safest place in the building would be an interior stairwell. If you leave your unit, do so calmly and orderly. Do not use the elevators, in case of a power outage.

DO NOT go to the lobby. The lobby is surrounded by two stories of glass.

Serious Health Emergencies

Report the illness or injury by dialing 911. Report the following:

Location:                     Park Tower Condo Association

Street Address:            5415 North Sheridan Rd.

Your Name:                _________________

Floor and Apt#:            _________________

Call management or the lobby front desk at 773-769-3250 to assure that proper coordination occurs on the ground level. There is very little else the staff can do in the event of a health emergency as they are not trained to recognize or respond to health conditions. There are AED (defibrillators) located at the pool and front desk, and in relevant situations can be used to assist an unresponsive individual. Most the staff is trained in CPR and use of the AEDs if it is a relevant situation. However, it is most important to contact 911 so paramedics can be dispatched as quickly as possible.

Threatening Phone Calls

Dial 911 to report the concern. Provide as many details as possible to the operator. The more information you can provide, the better. Follow Police Department instructions.

Then, call management or the front desk at 773-769-3250 for building coordination purposes if necessary (i.e. crime in progress, civil disturbance, bomb threats)

Steps For Building Occupant Evacuation:

In most emergency situations, the safest place to be should be your unit with the door closed, especially in high risers constructed such as Park Tower. Unless you are in immediate danger or instructed to evacuate, PLEASE BE CALM and remain in your unit. However, in other situations: 

1. In the event that you are notified to evacuate the building, or in immediate danger and choose to evacuate, calmly exit your unit and use the stairwell you are either directed to or that is closest to you. If you are given no direction, use the stairwell closest to your unit, as shown on the tower core layout (last page). If obstructed, use the other stairwell. If both are obstructed, the safest place is to remain inside a Unit if possible. It would be prudent to keep the following on a shelf in a front closet so these items can be located quickly and taken with you:

Flashlight with fresh batteries.

Portable FM radio with fresh batteries.

Light colored wash cloth that can be moistened to put over your face if there is dust or smoke in the stairwell or used to signal first responders.

Appropriate clothes for the season.

2. Knock on apartment doors on your floor to notify other residents if you believe they may not have heard the evacuation notification, and may be in immediate danger.

3. When using the stairwells, slower moving residents should keep to the right to allow others to pass on the left.  Try not to block the stairwell, although it may be necessary when helping elderly or those with medical conditions.

4. Familiarize yourself with the location of the emergency exits from the first floor lobby. Besides the revolving doors by the front desk, there are automatic swinging doors at the north and south sides of the lobby marked by exit signs. Depending on the situation, be sure to use the path and door which provides you with the fastest and safety route to exit.

Note that you are solely responsible to evacuate the building once you have been notified to do so. Common sense and preparedness are needed if this situation arises. During an evacuation all building personnel on duty will have specific duties, therefore they cannot be responsible for insuring that every tenant exits the building.

Fire or smoke near your apartment:

1. Remember C.A.L.M. Call the Fire Department immediately, dial 911. State the address (do not use vanity addresses), the floor, the apartment number and what you have seen. Don’t assume that someone else has already called.

2. Test all doors before you open them. While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up high and use the back or your hand to touch the door, the door knob, and the space between the door and the frame. If any one of these feel hot, use your alternative way out. If they feel cool, brace your shoulder against the door and open it carefully. Be prepared to slam the door shut if heat or smoke rushes in.

3. If you determine that the corridor can be used, alert occupants of the other apartments on your floor and proceed to the closest exit stairway. Close, but do not lock, your apartment door. Close the stairway door behind you. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THE ELEVATORS!

4. If your apartment door is warm or if there is heavy smoke in the corridor, keep the door closed. Use a wet towel to seal the cracks around the door and any other place where smoke appears to be entering.

5. If smoke enters your apartment, open a window slightly. In apartments having windows that cannot be opened, remain close to the floor. However, the possibility exists that fire from the outside may spread to your apartment through the window. If this condition occurs, close your windows and attempt to remove any combustibles at once, i.e. drapes. shades. etc.

6. If you are or become trapped:
   • stay calm (there is much you can do to protect yourself);
   • if possible, go to a room with an outside window and a telephone;
   • close doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around doors and cover vents with wet towels to keep smoke out;
   • if there’s a phone in the room where you’re trapped, call the fire department and tell them exactly where you are. Do this even if you can see emergency vehicles on the street below;
   • wait at a window and signal for help with a flashlight (if you have one) or by waving a sheet or other light-colored cloth;
   • do not break and jump out of a window (you have no chance of surviving a jump), and;
   • most important is to be patient. Rescuing all the occupants of a high-rise building could take several hours

General Safety Considerations:

1. Once outside the evacuated area, NEVER go back until that area has been inspected and approval has been given for re-entry by the Fire Department.

2. If your clothes catch on fire, stop, drop, and roll until the fire is extinguished. Do not run. Running only makes the fire burn faster.

3. If you must escape through smoke, crawl low under it. Heat and smoke rise; cleaner air will be low to the floor/ground.

4. Never use an elevator during a fire; it may stop between floors or even take you to the floor where the fire is burning! Go directly to the nearest stairwell that’s free of smoke and fire.

5. If you evacuate to the outside of the building, remain alert to the emergency activities going on around you. Many hazards exist during firefighting activities and safety is everyone’s responsibility.

6. Do not attempt to take pets with you during an evacuation. In most cases, animals are safer left in their living quarters than taking them with you.

7. Do not attempt to take personal treasures with you during an evacuation. Precious time may be lost in an attempt to collect these items.  In addition, large items will impede the efficient and orderly evacuation and may place your life and those around you in jeopardy.

8. Do not attempt to retrieve your car from the parking garage. This area may also be in the process of being evacuated and you will not be allowed entry.  In addition, emergency vehicles and/or equipment will most likely be blocking the garage entrance/exit(s) and will prevent you from leaving with your vehicle.

Evacuation Building Procedures:

If an evacuation occurs the following steps take place:

• The doorman’s desk in the lobby is the designated fire command station.
• The on duty Fire Safety Director (FSD) or the Deputy Fire Safety Director (DFSD) will occupy the fire command station. Typically this will be an Engineer or Manager.
• The FSD of DFSD will conduct operations in an emergency from the fire command station. He or she will report conditions to the fire companies when they arrive.

Note that you are solely responsible to evacuate the building once you have been notified to do so. During an evacuation all building personnel on duty will have specific duties; therefore they cannot be responsible for insuring that every tenant exits the building. Common sense and preparedness are needed if an emergency situation arises. Should evacuation become necessary, the authority and responsibility rests with the representatives of the city. Neither management nor the Association can assume responsibility for any consequences resulting from the decision to evacuate or not to evacuate.

The primary responsibility for safety of building occupants and compliance with fire codes in the units rests with each tenant. This sheet is supplied as general information to help you in emergency situations. It is not management’s intent to direct the tenant to adopt or use part or all of the given information, nor does management or the Association assume any liability in connection with all or part of the information that may be used or adopted by the tenant.

Pests Infestations/Emergencies

Oftentimes we might not think of the presence of pests as an emergency situation. However, it can be just as critical to respond quickly and thoughtfully when you become aware of unwelcome critters. Some pests, such as bed bugs, can be costly and time consuming to exterminate. And some can even pose serious health complications and or do significant damage to furniture, fixtures and personal belongings. So the sooner you respond, the better chance you have to get rid of them quickly.

Roaches, rats, bed bugs and other such nuisances should be reported to Management immediately. The presence of such pests and infestations are considered a serious health and safety hazard and should be handled by Management as an emergency condition. If the presence of such pests is reported or suspected, the staff will take steps to investigate and exterminate and begin the clean-up process.

If you observe or suspect the presence of pests, please contact the office at 773-769-3250.

Flooding/Leaks

Leaking or flooding incidents are handled by our staff as emergencies. When we become aware of it, our team will investigate and begin clean up as quickly as possible. Depending on the exact nature of the situation, our team may also begin or assist coordinating repairs.

Most importantly, is stopping the water and begin clean up to avoid developing mold or mildew. Water left unmanaged can lead to significant damage to walls, finishes, flooring furniture and just about anything else it comes in contact with. An active presence of water in walls or on flooring, left unaddressed for 48 to 72 hours can lead to molding which can cause health problems.

Please report any potential leaking or flooding to the office or front desk immediately at 773-769-3250, 773-769-3083.  Follow staff and management instructions.