This month, we are covering the importance (and requirement!) of having working smoke alarms in every residential unit of your multi-family housing complex.
FACTS:
- A real fire is nothing like what you see on television or in the movies.
- Smoke from a fire is dark, deadly, and spreads very quickly. It can fill your home within minutes.
- Smoke from a fire can confuse and disorient you, affecting your ability to escape.
- Most people who die in a fire succumb to heat and smoke inhalation - not flames.
- Most deadly fires happen at night when people are sleeping, and they do not have working smoke alarms.
YOU Can Save Lives
Working smoke alarms are designed to activate early to help ensure the ability for a person to safely escape. As a property manager, you are required to provide working smoke alarms in all of your residential units. It's important to "hear the beep where you sleep," so we strongly encourage installing smoke alarms in every sleeping area too.
Property management is required to…
- Provide working smoke alarms on every level of the unit when the resident first takes possession of the premises. [ORS 90.320(1)(j) & ORS 479.270]
- Repair or replace non-working smoke alarms upon a resident's written notice. [ORS 479.280]
Resident is required to…
- Test smoke alarms a minimum of every six months and notify property management immediately if the alarm isn’t working properly. [ORS 90.325(1)(f)]
- Replace batteries in alarm as needed.
- Not disable or remove a smoke alarm from their unit. [OR 90.325(2)(a)]
Please share our
smoke alarm tip sheet with your residents to help them understand the importance of working smoke alarms and what to do if the smoke alarm sounds! If smoke triggers an alarm, they need to immediately exit their unit, call 911, and remain outside.
Thank you for helping us create safer communities. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to
contact us.
