Fire Safety - What are we looking at?

Neighbors,

Here are some photos to help you distinguish the fire system components in our building.

The smoke alarm system: There are at least four in each unit. When one detects smoke, all will sound. The button is for testing. These do not call for a general building evacuation alarm.
The smoke alarm has a battery for back-up. Batteries should be changed once per year. Change all of them at the same time. Mark the date of replacement on each with a Sharpie pen.

The classic sprinkler head: These work on heat. They are a simple mechanical device. When the metal element melts, the water sprays. When the water sprays, a general a evacuation alarm will sound. They are not connected to the smoke alarms.

The strobe and sounder will indicate a general evacuation alarm. If this goes off, you will hear it.

There is no way to silence it from your condo. The strobe will flash along with every other strobe in the building. Leave the building. This is the real thing. If you don't smell smoke, leave anyway. Modern fire systems rarely falsely alarm. The fire company is on its way, when this trips.

The Fire Alarm pull box will sound a general evacuation and call the Fire Department. If you know a fire has begun, don't wait for the sprinkler head to do its job. Get help. Pull the box. These are located next to the stairway exits. Unlike the old pull boxes, there is no glass to break. Look around the building, Do you know where the closest one is? Where are they in the garage?

Fire extinguishers are located in the hallway. Look for the one nearest your condo. If you need it, use it. It is usually better to pull the alarm box first then grab the extinguisher. You will also find several of them in the garage. Get familiar with their locations.

Elevators are not an option during an evacuation alarm. The elevators go straight to the lobby and lock-down. Read the sign near the elevator.

A Fire Extinguisher in you condo could save the day especially in a kitchen fire. Mount one close-by and where you see it everyday. Here is one mounted in the pantry closet, four steps away from the stove. You can buy these at Home Depot, Lowes, or any hardware store. Read the labels. Ask for help. An "A,B,C" Tri-class should be appropriate for most areas. Extinguishers with a "10- B C" rating is recommended for kitchens. (Don't get one too heavy too lift.)

"A" is for paper, wood, & trash. "B" is for liquid fires like grease. "C" is for electrical fire like a toaster fire.

see http://www.kiddeus.com/utcfs/Templates/Pages/Template-66/0,8070,pageId%3D4559%26siteId%3D384,00.html for more information.

Please note that these comments are based my understanding of the building's fire system which may not be exact and also based on my understanding of common fire safety practice. When in doubt consult an authority on fire safety or the local Fire Marshall.

By George

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Our local Authority is:

Cambridge, MD, FIRE & RESCUE COMPANY,

Jeffery O. Hurley, Sr., Chief (410) 228-1670; fax: (410) 228-4554e-mail: jhurley56@comcast.net

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Have an issue? Have an idea? Want to post a social message? Lost dog?

send it here, marshycove900blog@comcast.net

Carpets in Lobby

I received a few comments regarding the aesthetics of the carpets near the elevators. Functional? yes. ........Ugly? yes. ....... Basically, the carpets look too industrial and detract from the decor of the lobby.

Please, let me know how you feel. The next board meeting will be a few weeks. This matter deserves some attention.

Send you comments to marshycove900blog@comcast.net
Please note that we will not identify anyone that writes to this site by name.

Book Sharing

Care to share books with other residents?

There has been a request to furnish a book shelf in the lobby to permit easy sharing of your "previously enjoyed" books. Perhaps, the residents organization can consider this as an agenda item.

If anyone is interested in helping or participating in the proposed "lobby library", send an email to marshycove900blog@comcast.net. I''ll get you in touch with the interested party.

Smoke Detectors

Just a reminder:

Daylight savings time should remind us to replace the batteries in our smoke detectors. There are about 4 smoke detectors in each condo. They require standard 9 volt batteries. Use a ladder that will permit you to safely reach the detector.

How it works
Smoke detectors detectors provide the first line of defense in the detection of a smoldering fire. Smoke can kill the occupants well before a hot fire starts. The smoke detectors in our condos are wired together so any detection of smoke will cause all detectors to sound an alarm.

The smoke detectors will not sound a general building evacuation alarm. So "burning the toast" won't call the fire department. If a serious fire were to start, you should go to a "pull box" to alert all of the building occupants to evacuate.

The sprinkler heads in your condo will not spray water until 165 degrees has been reached. When a sprinkler goes off, the water flow is detected and a general evacuation alarm will sound. Contrary to what you see in the movies, only the sprinkler head that is exposed to the heat will spray water. Hopefully, it will arrest the fire in the early stages.

In all cases, if an evacuation alarm sounds, leave the building immediately! In many large building fires, you will not smell smoke. Today's systems rarely deliver false alarms. They are inspected and tested on a regular basis to ensure reliability.

Use the nearest stairway to exit the building. By fire code, elevators are programmed to return to the lobby in the event of a fire.

Other considerations:

• Know where the fire"pull-boxes" are located.
• Look around building for fire extinguishers. They are located near many of the exit points.
• Do you have fire extinguishers in your condo? Does everyone know where they are and how to use them? A simple kitchen fire can be stopped in seconds when you are prepared.
• Pick a rally point well away from the building for your family to meet in case of an evacuation.

More information will follow in future articles.

We love ideas: please send them to marshycove900blog@comcast.net

Condo Association Board Meeting

The Condo Board Meeting is scheduled for

Saturday, March 14, 10:00AM - 12:00AM.

New meeting place: 411 Muse St. in Cambridge, Chad Malkus' office.

411 Muse St. is on the corner of Muse and Academy Sts.

It is just over the Maryland Ave. Bridge.

The agenda is normally posted in the elevator.

Hopefully, it will be posted here in advance of the meeting.

marshycove900blog@comcast.net

Any news? Send it here.

Snow Clearing

Observations and comments by a resident:

There is a need to review the snow removal procedures for Deep Harbour.
Is there a committee that addresses this issue?

Given the snow storm had been forecast for a week, preparation should have been easy.
The storm was over by 10:00 AM and dumped 8 to 10 inches.
At 1:30, the plows had not yet arrived. This meant that the local traffic was packing the snow cover to ice making it harder to remove and more hazardous.

To be practical, clearing all of the roadways and driveways could wait until the storm was over.
However, It would make good sense to clear the main access road through the property for emergency vehicles even before the storm had ended.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE BETTER PREPARED.

A resident.

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Looking foward to receive more emails from you for publishing.

Wanna go sailing?

To all Swabbies and swabbie-wannabees,

If you would like to go sailing, get in touch with the ESSA or the CSA.

If you have a sailboat, the ESSA conducts handicapped races weekly on Wednesday evenings on the Choptank. The boats sail from Deep Harbour Condo Marina and the Cambridge Municipal Marina.

If you don't a have a boat or experience, these are the people who will get you started as a crew member.

http://www.essasailing.com/
EASTERN SHORE SAILING ASSOCIATION
PO BOX 374
SALISBURY, MD 21803

Commodore Eugene Williams eewilliams@salisbury.edu

March General Meeting
Date: 2009.03.21 1300 hrs
Location: La Tolteca of Salisbury - Upstairs Room
Topic: TBD Just mark your calendar for this date to come and enjoy some great Mexican food off their menu. Speaker and topic TBA.

(Other meetings have been held at 900 Marshy Cove.)

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The Choptank Sailing Association sails weekly on Tuesday evenings (5:15 PM) from the Cambridge Munuicipal Marina.

The Choptank Sailing Association also races and always needs crew members.

A little more laid-back, the CSA uses an adjusted handicap system.

They welcome experienced sailors and neophytes for crew.

http://www.choptanksa.info/

email contacts: CSA Crew Coordinators: "Andy" abcounts@hotmail.com or

"John" jlindinger@goeaston.net

See you at the dock.

Ideas for publishing? send them to marshycove900blog@comcast.net