Emergency Fire Legislation Passed
From Councilmember Jim Graham:
Dear Friends:
On Tuesday the D.C. Council passed an emergency bill I authored to improve fire safety in D.C. apartment buildings. The serious fire at Harvard Hall (1650 Harvard Street NW) on February 23 prompted the action. I appreciate all the help I received from the tenants at Harvard Hall.
Landlords will be required to give existing and new tenants written notice telling them whether building smoke alarms are connected to fire alarms or to emergency rescue services. Landlords also must instruct tenants to call 911 immediately if there is a fire. Landlords of buildings with five or more units must maintain a fire safety plan and hold a fire drill at least once a year.
Two people were injured in the Harvard Hall fire, one seriously. All the other tenants escaped safely. However many complained at a meeting with tenants, myself and Fire Chief Rubin that they had not heard a fire alarm and that there was insufficient information on fire safety.
This incident clearly showed the need for stronger fire safety awareness.
Bests,
Councilmember Jim Graham
March 6, 2009
Harvard Hall Fire Meeting
Please come to an all-building meeting on Wednesday to discuss the fire, our alarm system, Borger's response to all of this, and how we can help the residents of 402.
Also, to be notified of future updates and to discuss building the fire and other building issues, please join our Google Group, mentioned below.
When: Wednesday, February 25 at 7:30 PM
Where: Building Lobby
February 23, 2009
Join our Google Group
We are retiring our old email listserve and replacing it with a shiny new Google
Group. All Harvard Hall tenants should join the group to receive timely updates
and announcements about building life. If you were on our previous list, you should
have already received an invitation email. If you weren't on our list and wish to
join, go to the group page now and sign up. http://groups.google.com/group/harvardhall/
April 18, 2006