By Request We Are Posting The Procedures For Responding To Fire Emergencies

One important thing to remember, is that if there is a fire somewhere in the building, remaining calm and in your unit is generally considered the safest place to be. (Unless of course the fire is in your unit.) The nature of the buildings architecture and construction is expected to help naturally isolate fires, so unless you are in immediate danger or unless you are directed by the authorities or management, stay calm and stay put.

There is no road map to follow for every possible sequence of events in an emergency. There are a lot of variables. Below are general guidelines to follow at Park Tower in the event of an emergency:

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.