Fire Safety

SneakerNet

SneakerNet

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I had an interesting conversation with the fire dept inspector. Ealier today I saw two fire fighters walking around our building to inspect all the fire safety. You know to check to be sure all the backup lights are in good working order. All the fire extinguishers is good working order and make sure no doors are obstructed and such. So, when they passed my office, I holler out to those guys and they stopped in my office. I asked them, "Do you ever asked the owner or person who is responsible for this building if there deaf employee or employees working in the office?" The two fire fighters looked at each other and gave a little shrugged and one looked at me, "That's a good question" and I explained to them, supposely if there are deaf employee working in the office, should they be responsible to check to see if there an strobe lights installed in the building? Since I was looking at them that they have paper binder/board with all the check list, does it have "check to see if there deaf employees working in the office? If yes, check to be sure there's fire strobe lights installed" you know?? I'm sure there's nothing on the list. So one of the fire fighter said, "I'll make note of that....thanks... and umm... you deaf?"
I nodded. "can you hear the alarms? I said "Yes but not when my battery died, then I'll be dead." He chuckled. Of course when I first worked here in this building 2 years ago, I asked the maintenance guys that this building require to have fire strobe lights and explained to him because I'm deaf. Then he gave me a stupid question, "but you can hear me?" I rolled my eyes, and told him, what if my hearing aid battery died, or forgot to bring my hearing aid, or broken??? Or if I'm in the SCIF??? Then he agree with me. So, two months later the strobe lights finally installed in various locations.

I know many new buildings have strobe lights installed but what about existing or old building that doesn't have it?? It made me wondered about if Fire Dept inspectors ever asked the owner or CEO or whatever if there's deaf employee working there?? You know how some of the owner delayed getting the work order done or some don't want to spend that much money to get it installed or whatever. Fire dept should ask for that and if not, the owner should get citations for failure to meet the requirements.
 
It's ADA says if the employer have 10 or more deaf workers, that would be required have a strobe or LED lights along with a sirenbox. Less than 10 not required it.. but you can ask boss to get a signaler with flasher light. I recommend get a Krown signalers. That I have a krown signaler for weather/fire alarm.

Long time ago, at old apt they had 15 or 25 deaf residents.. The landlord lost in the court and they had order Fire Alarm Tech to install strobe with sirenbox in every deaf's apt units.. so Right now current apt, they're not require, it's only have 6 deaf residents.. That why I asked my landlord to put up my Krown Transmitter stick on next to sirenbox. Smoke/CO detector are required to installed by the Maintenance or hire a fire alarm tech for Strobe add-on (Hard wired system). My bedroom already have a ceiling strobe that hard wired to smoke alarm.
 
PowerWCRulez said:
It's ADA says if the employer have 10 or more deaf workers, that would be required have a strobe or LED lights along with a sirenbox. Less than 10 not required it.. but you can ask boss to get a signaler with flasher light. I recommend get a Krown signalers. That I have a krown signaler for weather/fire alarm.

Long time ago, at old apt they had 15 or 25 deaf residents.. The landlord lost in the court and they had order Fire Alarm Tech to install strobe with sirenbox in every deaf's apt units.. so Right now current apt, they're not require, it's only have 6 deaf residents.. That why I asked my landlord to put up my Krown Transmitter stick on next to sirenbox. Smoke/CO detector are required to installed by the Maintenance or hire a fire alarm tech for Strobe add-on (Hard wired system). My bedroom already have a ceiling strobe that hard wired to smoke alarm.
Click to expand...

Interesting, but are you sure about this?
 
In addition to ADA requirements, there could be fire codes for commercial buildings that don't have the same minimum occupancy.

In some communities, fire departments will install upgraded strobe alarms for free in residences.
 
Fire Code

I think it is a shared responsibility to be sure we are safe in our workplaces. Probably at the end of the interview, we should be asking if reasonable accomadations are in place or are being made, in the building you are going to be working in for what ever your disability. I agree that most employers have not brought the buildings up to code if they have not been asked to. As I stated in another post...we need to take some of the responsibility to have the things in place to keep us safe. Ask the questions at the beginning, if you find a prospective employer who seems "not to get it" do you really want to work for them? You can also ask for the option to bring in your own
precautions and warnings , many of which you can get for free through the State. Dept of Workplace Safety. I feel too often some of us feel as tho we are asking for " too much" and it might keep us from being hired. Well we are not when it comes to peace of mind on the job.
:cool2:Think about it..Midnight♥
 
It seems like common sense to attach strobe lights for deaf people, but the reality is that not enough hearing people take deafness into consideration. Even worse, they barely take other people in need of special conditions into consideration.

To install a strobe light in every necessary room would probably cost more money from whoever owns the building, including the pay of whoever installs it. Most business people would prefer to have money over customer satisfaction or even worker satisfaction. As long as it doesn't affect profit negatively, they generally don't care.

If we alert multiple fire stations about this problem, it's likely it will come to a resolution. Without a way to alert the deaf or hard of hearing to a fire, it may be too late for them to escape.
 
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