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City responds quickly to needs of fire victim
• Kitchen fire destroys Palm Springs III Condo
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Saturday,
July 3, 2010
When Ruth noticed the stove on fire she ran downstairs from her Palm Springs III Margate condominium to have her neighbor call 911. Margate firefighters responded quickly to the blaze in building 23, but unfortunately Ruth’s condo was charred beyond habitability.
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While Margate Firefighters tended to the needs of the building and the safety of its residents Friday afternoon circa 4 pm, Margate Police called Ruth’s sister so she would have a place to stay. An officer also called the Red Cross, who would arrive on the scene and provide Ruth with any vouchers she might need for temporary housing and food.
Despite the city being closed on a Friday, Margate’s head building inspector came out to the site and surveyed the condo for structural damage. With the exception of Ruth's charred condo and the one below saturated with water, the building was declared safe for occupancy and power could be turned back on.
“That’s how we work in this city,” said a fire official on the scene. “We work as a team.”
The Fire Captain said if it wasn’t for the cement block wall separating older Palm Springs III units, a second-story kitchen fire like Ruth’s could have traveled quickly to adjoining units and along the roof. Unlike newer construction with draft walls between units, older condominiums like Ruth’s contain fire better, said the Captain.
Draft walls are hollow and contain air, which fuels fire and helps it spread quicker. Draft walls often contain electrical conduit and plumbing, adding to damage caused by fire.
Local lawmakers hailed a bill passed during Florida’s most recent legislative session, exempting condominiums such as Palm Springs III from the retrofitting of fire alarm systems and sprinklers; a system which might have notified the fire department sooner and minimized the damage to Ruth’s condo, estimated at more than $20K.
In response to the legislative exemption, one of Ruth's neighbors told MargateNews.net that she recently installed a fire alarm system in her home to ensure a fast response from the fire department in case of emergency.
"Every second counts in a fire," she said. "The same goes for heart attack and stroke."
Margate is holding a Public Hearing on Wednesday July 7, 2010 to discuss the raising of Margate Fire Fees from $185 to $225 yearly.
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