Fire Extinguishers in Rental Units

[GlennLasiuta]

Hello all.

I have an up/down suited single family home, with interconnected and monitored smoke detectors, and was thinking of taking it one step further by providing small sized ABC fire extinguishers.

Does anybody do this, and if so, do you think it is a good idea?

My concern is perhaps taking on a liability risk, should anyone get injured in a fire do to mis-use or failure of the extinguisher. Most extinguishers need to be certified every year (at least in industrial they do), so maybe this would mitigate any risk?

Please provide your thoughts and experiences.

Thank you kindly and have a great day,


Glenn Lasiuta

 

[Tibo]

QUOTE (GlennLasiuta @ May 19 2009, 01:58 PM) Hello all.

I have an up/down suited single family home, with interconnected and monitored smoke detectors, and was thinking of taking it one step further by providing small sized ABC fire extinguishers.

Does anybody do this, and if so, do you think it is a good idea?

My concern is perhaps taking on a liability risk, should anyone get injured in a fire do to mis-use or failure of the extinguisher. Most extinguishers need to be certified every year (at least in industrial they do), so maybe this would mitigate any risk?

Please provide your thoughts and experiences.

Thank you kindly and have a great day,


Glenn Lasiuta




I work for a Fire Department and also own a six plex. I too wanted to provide Fire Extiguishers but 1- you would have to teach them how to operate it P_A_S_S (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep). when to call 9-1-1 . and monthly maintenance like turn it upside down and tap it so all the drychem is not packed to the bottom. proper storage.... this takes time out of your day and familly remember PASSIVE INCOME. 2- If you provide a Fire Extingusher you have to pay to maintain it. You are opening up like yo said liability if a person was injured using it. Consider this: Monthly checks and logged into a book, yearly inspectiion by a certified technician and 5 year hydrostatic test. Not worth the headache, time and $$$.

 

[GlennLasiuta]

QUOTE (Tibo @ May 19 2009, 08:08 PM) I work for a Fire Department and also own a six plex. I too wanted to provide Fire Extiguishers but 1- you would have to teach them how to operate it P_A_S_S (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep). when to call 9-1-1 . and monthly maintenance like turn it upside down and tap it so all the drychem is not packed to the bottom. proper storage.... this takes time out of your day and familly remember PASSIVE INCOME. 2- If you provide a Fire Extingusher you have to pay to maintain it. You are opening up like yo said liability if a person was injured using it. Consider this: Monthly checks and logged into a book, yearly inspectiion by a certified technician and 5 year hydrostatic test. Not worth the headache, time and $$$.

Fair enough. Thank you for the insight Tibo. I figured as much about the maintenance and liability aspect.

Take care,


Glenn

 

[holymoly]

I know liability is a big concern, but I can`t help feeling uneasy about a decision to not install fire extinguishers. What if a fire extinguisher could have made all the difference in a situation that resulted in someone`s injury or death, and there was no fire extinguisher? (But yes, on the other hand, it would`ve had to be a well-working extinguisher, in the hands of someone who knew how to use it...)

There was a similar debate at my cottage, which has a shared (but not public) beach -- to install a life preserver ring and risk being held responsible and liable, or to not install a life preserver ring. The lawyer advised to install the ring. I was relieved, since I`d hate to think that someone drowned because we were worried about being sued.

 

[dcres]

I started putting ABC fire extinquishers in my rentals, in the kitchen areas.
I wait for a sale at Canadian Tire & pick up a handheld extinquisher for approx. $20.00
Even if you have to replace it every five years, it`s still cheap insurance on your investments.
It takes about a minute to show a tenant how to use one. I mount them on the cupboards
near the stove.

 

[Tibo]

If you are going to instal a fire Extinguisher make it an ABC. store away from the stove and close to a way out. make sure that the tenant does not have to run beside the fire to make his or her way out. go to your local fire department and get info. things like stop drop and roll, no french fries, keep a lid near by to suffucate the fire, don`t carry burning pot outside, working smoke detector on every level. I put one in every bedroom of my units and for single familly dwelings I also put a Carbon Monoxide detector as well.

 

[invst4profit]

In my opinion the liability issue is far too great to provide a fire extinguisher.

Once provided there is the potential of liability if it should fail and a tenant is injured as a result even if it is through there own incompetence.
Providing of a fire extinguisher implies that you are "expecting" tenants to remain in the building to fight a fire.
This is not a message I would want to send to my tenants.

 

[GlennLasiuta]

Thank you all for your input and suggestions. I appreciate it.

It would seem that we are all split on the issue. What if, as investors, we could meet halfway regarding fire extinguishers?:

Provide the tenant with an ABC extinguisher, show them how to use and maintain it, then create a form that acknowledges they have received training and are responsible for keeping it in useable condition (ie, banging upside down every month). This form would also explain to them that their safety is number 1 priority, and it is up to their judgement should they choose to use the extinguisher in the event of a fire.

I also like the idea of providing information pamphlets from the Fire Department.

Point is, I wish to have my tenants feel safe and have a means to protect themselves, but I also want to feel safe and protect MYself as well.

In any case, keep the discussion coming, I think this is an important topic.

Cheers,

Glenn

 

[invst4profit]

Fire alarms are more than adequate to provide sufficient safety for tenants. That is all the majority of individuals have in there personal homes and I would assume most feel adequately protected.
I do not understand the reasoning for wishing to go beyond the accepted standards.

In the event of a law suite I would seriously doubt that a signed form acknowledging anything on the part of a tenant would hold any weight in a court of law. There lawyer would tear it to pieces and likely show the landlord was not qualified to instruct, did not adequately educate the tenant and the landlords actions likely put the tenants life in jeopardy.
In order to be protected you would likely need to have a qualified licensed instructor do the training and it would likely be required on a yearly bases.

The expression "no good deed goes unpunished" comes to mind.
Best left well enough alone in my opinion.

 

[Tibo]

I agree 100% with invstforprofit on this matter and I put out fires for living.

 

[GlennLasiuta]

Thank you all for you input. After hearing everyones thoughts, I`ve decided against providing fire extinguishers.

Glenn

 

[SusanPenner]

Hi:

Thanks for the post. In our first few units we did provide fire extinguishers, but we did not consider the liability issue. Carbon monoxide monitors were also installed.

The last two places we have provided a fire blanket. As we were thinking `what happens if they don`t know how to operate a fire extinguisher".

Any comments about the liability of the fire blanket?

Thanks!