Fire and safety

Fire risks – be prepared

Household fires are thankfully quite rare, however when they occur they represent a significant risk to life.

With this in mind, we would ask everyone to ensure the following:

Fire prevention – take the greatest care to ensure a fire does not arise
Plan your escape – make preparations for their escape in the event that it does (including procedures to minimise the spread of fire)

For whichever house you are living in, please ensure you identify the means of escape from each room in the property to prepare against the event of a fire, there is a plan for your house on the notice board.

Fire safety

Fire safety is the responsibility of all tenants so please observe the following rules:

DO NOT obstruct any means of escape – please ensure the hallways and stairs remain unobstructed at all times.
DO NOT tamper with smoke alarms – they are your primary protection against fire.
DO NOT prop open doors – doors from rooms are auto-closing fire doors and should never be propped open.
DO NOT damage doors or closers – the fire doors are only fully effective if the door, closer and intumescent materials are undamaged.
DO NOT store combustible materials under the stairs – the staircase is a fundamental means of escape from the upper floors, please ensure no combustible materials are stored under them.
Keep keys for windows readily accessible – please keep security keys readily accessible at all times.

Properties' fire safety features

For information, the property is fitted with the following fire safety features:

Heat alarm in the kitchen
Smoke detector in each room and each hallway
Fire extinguisher in the kitchen
Fire blanket in the kitchen
Fire doors to all bedrooms and to the kitchen
Emergency lighting in the hallway on each floor and each half-landing

Please make sure you know where these are located and take every effort to prevent damage.

In any event, please inform the Landlord if any damage does arise as this needs to be immediately rectified.

Discovery of a fires – Do not risk your personal safety

If a fire is found or suspected under any other circumstances:

Raise the alarm any way possible – shout, get everyone together. Don’t delay, you can’t afford to waste time.
Don’t investigate the fire – unless you know the cause and have the equipment to deal with it.
Leave the building immediately – leave personal belongings, irrespective of their value your life is more important.
Close all doors, open none – this will help prevent the spread of smoke and flames. If you must open a door, first check it with the back of your hand. If it is warm do not open it, the fire is on the other side.
Get everyone out – get out via the escape routes, staying together if you can. If there is dense smoke, crawl on the floor where the air will be cleaner.
Call 999 – once out of the building call the fire services. Inform them:

of the address and post code
that the building is a two-story HMO
whether you believe anyone may be trapped inside

Do not re-enter – if there is someone left inside, wait for the fire service to arrive and let them know.
Move safely away but stay nearby – you may have valuable information for the fire service when they arrive.