Having a safe campus is one of our main priorities. We recently had the chance to sit down with Mike Scanlon, a fire inspector with GT Metro Fire Department, to talk about fire safety and our fire system here at Samaritas.

As you may know, we recently had our fire safety system updated. Although Mike was not on the team that worked on the update, he gave us a fairly basic run down of our system.

The first thing he said was, “The residents live in a safe community here at Samaritas, safer than if they lived in their own homes.” At Samaritas, we have no extension cords, which can cause fires. We also don’t have candles, which are known to start fires. He mentioned that we have a top-notch fire detection system in place.

If there were ever a fire in the building, residents are notified by audible and/or visual strobes and alarms. If someone pulls a pull alarm, the alarm company notifies the fire response team. All detectors, pull stations and sprinklers are connected to a panel in the main office that tells the fire response team where to go in the building in the case of a fire.

We have a suppressed fire detection system, which means it uses sprinklers. The system is designed to put out fires and get people safely out of the area of the fire. The sprinklers heads are designed to go off at a pre-set temperature and only where the heat is detected.

We are equipped with fire doors that close when the systems is activated, helping to contain any fire in a designated area. We are a “harbor in place” community which means that residents stay in their rooms when the alarm goes off, which is the safest spot for them. This way, the fire response individuals can get to the area where they are needed without having to find their way through residents in the halls.

Apart from the pull stations, there are extinguishers which are situated every 75 feet in the halls. There are also smoke alarms in each Independent Living room. The egress lights and exit door signs are powered by battery so that they will light the way to the door in the case of a power outage.

When asked if he had any safety tips for our residents he said, “Be aware of your surroundings, take your time and watch your steps.”