To: all Owners at 900 Marshy Cove,
This
has been a stressful week for residents at 900 Marshy Cove.
Despite
our best efforts, things happen.
Wednesday,
November 24, 5:00 AM.
A
circuit breaker that was connected to the air compressor in the attic popped.
The air pressure in the system dropped
and triggered and alarm. The alarm sounded for almost an hour before the fire
marshal arrived to silence the alarm.
Normally,
the fire alarm system sends an automated to a fire monitoring service. The
monitoring service determines the seriousness of the incident and calls the fire
company.
So,
what happened? Our fire alarm system did telephone a message to the
monitoring service. However, the service had a problem at their end and did not
see it. They should have received a low air
pressure warning well in advance of the alarm; but, they did not. Of course, they
were also unaware of the evacuation alarm.
Saturday,
November 27, 12:05 PM
ARK,
our fire system service, was notified of some problems and arrived around 11:00
PM.
After
they left, at 12:00 AM, the alarm sounded. This time the monitoring service alerted
the fire marshal and the alarm was silenced upon their arrival.
Ark
returned around 1:00 AM to assess the situation.
As
a precaution, Sentry arranged for a fire watch.
So,
what caused the alarms? The compressor was short cycling which caused an inrush
current higher than normal. That caused the breaker to pop. After that the air
pressure dropped. Bingo! Alarm party in the lobby.
Ultimate
Cause:
The pressure switch on the compressor that controls the cycling of the
compressor failed. We expect the replacement
parts on Tuesday or Wednesday.
In
the meantime, we have a fire watch patrol on the fourth floor. Note that all unit sprinkler heads are operational.
Only, the attic is affected. There are smoke detectors in the attic that are
connected to the main fire system which provide a degree of protection.
George B
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