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VERTICAL UPDATE
High-Rise News & Updates
for Las Vegas
| Putting High-Rise
Safety First |
by: Kiki Bandilla,
Viridian Group
|
 In
January, a three-alarm fire at the Monte Carlo Casino in Las
Vegas raised concerns about the safety of high-rise buildings.
And while these concerns are valid, it is important to note
that high-rise buildings in general can be safer than other
buildings, thanks to stringent and thorough building codes.
As a result of the widely publicized Monte Carlo
fire, a lot more questions are being asked about the safety
of high-rise buildings. However, when you consider the outcome
of this fire, you’ll start to see that high-rises are
designed to keep you safe. All 3,000 guests of the 32-floor
hotel were safely evacuated and the fire was under control
within an hour. It was mainly an exterior fire, with only
slight damage to some rooms.
In comparison to last year’s massive
fire that took place at the Maruno condo complex, a low-rise
development, the Monte Carlo damage is minimal. The Maruno
fire wiped out 142 townhomes in 75 minutes. Fortunately, the
complex was under construction, and therefore unoccupied.
When you consider the size of the Monte Carlo in comparison
to the Maruno, the damage caused by the Monte Carlo was minimal.
 There
are a number of reasons why high-rises are safer than single-family
and low-rise structures. For starters, in comparison to other
builders, high-rise builders are held to much higher standards
when building and are subject to more frequent inspections
when the buildings are occupied. The 1980 MGM Grand fire changed
safety standards in both Nevada and across the nation. The
deadly fire at the 26-story Strip resort—built in 1972—took
87 lives. As a result, Nevada became one of the first states
to enact what remain as some of the world’s toughest
safety standards for public buildings and high-rises.
Strict building codes require builders to provide the following
in a high-rise to make it fire-safe:
- A fire system equipped with hose, extinguisher
and automatic vents. It is the building owner’s responsibility
to regulate fire safety systems and make sure the buildings
comply with existing fire and building codes.
- A sprinkler system designed to hold
fire in check and set off an alarm. To deal with fires on
higher floors of buildings, fire codes state that floors
higher than 75 feet—the height most ladder trucks
reach, typically about eight floors—must have full
automatic fire sprinklers, as they are one of the most effective
means of fire prevention.
- Smoke detectors in every unit. In 1980,
at the time of the fire, there were no smoke detectors in
any MGM rooms. Today every room of every Las Vegas hotel
has one or more smoke detectors.
- An evacuation plan. The most peaceful
environment can instantly turn chaotic when a fire alarm
sounds. Therefore, high-rise owners should make sure all
means of exiting a building are unblocked and can accommodate
all evacuees in an emergency. In addition, a voice communication
system is required to inform people that they need to evacuate.
- Weekly and monthly inspections of fire
panel and sprinkler systems.
- A plan for building occupants with
special needs or disabilities who may need help evacuating.
 In
general, high-rise buildings are designed and constructed
to withstand normal fires. There has not been a fire death
in a high-rise building in Las Vegas in the past two decades.
Still, while builders are required to make these buildings
as safe as possible, it is important that occupants understand
that they play an important role in high-rise safety. For
example, because most high-rise fires are not fought by ladders
outside, building occupants need to know that their safest
escape route is via the stairwells, which are ventilated and
protected by a thick concrete firewall.
Follow these safety tips so you will be better
prepared for a fire or emergency:
- Know the layout of your floor, including
the location of all stair exits and the location of fire
alarm boxes.
- Count the number of doors between your
apartment and the exit stairs so that you can find the exit
in the dark.
- Regularly test all smoke detectors
in your apartment and replace the batteries annually.
- Know who is responsible for maintaining
your building’s safety systems. Report any sign of
damage or malfunction to the building manager.
- Make sure your unit has a fire extinguisher
and know how to use it.
- Never lock fire exits or doorways,
halls or stairways. Fire doors provide a way out during
the fire and slow the spread of fire and smoke. Never prop
stairway or other fire doors open.
- Learn your building’s evacuation
plan. Make sure your family knows what to do if the fire
alarm sounds.
- Learn the sound of your building's fire
alarm and post emergency numbers near your telephones.
As with any building, advance preparation
is critical to the successful evacuation and safety of high-rise
occupants. By working together, building owners and tenants
can ensure that their high-rise experience is a safe one.
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Kiki
Bandilla is the president of the Las Vegas High-Rise
&Condominium Association and director of business
development at Viridian Group, a local brokerage firm
that specializes in the sales of high-rise living, mixed-use,
and commercial projects. She would like to acknowledge
the following for their contributions to this article:
Karen DuBose, treasurer of LVHCA and vice president
of CAM operations for RMI; and Nick Summerville, project
manager for Sullivan Square at Glen, Smith & Glen
Development. Kiki can be reached by calling (702) 353-2658.
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