Fire escapes are a fundamental component of every high-rise building in cities like the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Long Island, Brooklyn, and Richmond Hill. The DOB in New York ensures that buildings of 7 stories and more must-have functional fire escapes. So, you must hire a fire escape contractor to ensure your fire escape is accessible and operational. Failing to comply with the state laws, you will encounter an act of violation, leading to penalties and litigations.
Fire escape installations are easy, but it is much more difficult to maintain them. Most often building owners install a fire escape and then forget about it. In other words, the rare usage of fire escapes results in utter negligence! Forget about maintenance, many residents use fire escapes as a stockpile area! The space is often full of clutter and inaccessible, which is predominantly a big problem!
However, maintenance of fire escapes is mandatory for several reasons. It is a prerequisite for a safe living environment. So, appointing a fire escape contractor to undergo inspection and repair is the responsibility of every building owner. If you ask us why, we have several reasons to support the cause. Let’s find out.
Fire Escape Maintenance: Why You Should Not Ignore It?
A fire escape serves a critical purpose. It is the fundamental evacuation route during emergencies. Regular fire escape service for maintenance is essential because:
- Compliance with Fire Safety Law- Firstly, the Department of Buildings in New York City mandates that every high-rise building must have an operational fire escape. The authority also inspects fire escapes every five years. If your fire escape fails to comply with the building laws, you will receive a violation. The violation may lead to penalties and other legal issues. It is definitely not agreeable because nobody wants to come into the legal records! Hence, to ensure that you do not receive a violation by the DOB, call a fire escape contractor and perform a thorough inspection- it is a significant aspect of fire escape maintenance.
- Retain Functionality- What is the use of a fire escape if it is not functional? If you cannot access and use your fire escape during emergencies, it is pointless to have a fire escape in the first place! Lack of maintenance results in fire escape failure due to corrosion, which is predominant in fire escapes. We will come to that in the next point. Therefore, to ensure that your fire escape is functional and you can use it during emergencies, maintenance is obligatory.
- Prevent Corrosion- Regular fire escape inspection can save you from the detrimental effects of corrosion. Since fire escapes are made of iron, rusting is inevitable! Peeling paint, brown flaking, and unstable platforms are all results of corrosion. It can have a large-scale impact on the strength and structural stability of a fire escape. The condition may worsen over time, leading to sudden collapse! Approaching the best fire escape contractor promptly can fix the problem.
- Promote Efficiency- With adequate maintenance, you can improve the efficiency of your fire escape. How? Well, when you take adequate measures for the proper upkeep of your fire escape, you can easily identify the problems and fix them before they get severe. It will boost the structural and functional efficiency of your fire escape.
Conclusion
Fire escape maintenance is a prerequisite for a safer living environment. The fire escape inspection cost varies depending on your fire escape contractor. But, in any case, it is a crucial aspect of the maintenance process, and you must conduct it whenever required.
