It's cold outside, so thoughts turn to fire. As Q13 reported last month, Snohomish County fire officials recently confirmed that fifteen local condominium and apartment buildings are not updated with legally required
fire alarms. The compliance crackdown came about a year after a fire killed a person in their Everett apartment on New Year’s Eve. The building involved in that tragedy did not have a sprinkler system, which allowed the fire to spread through the attic.
When community association boards fail to follow fire alarm requirements, they at a minimum subject their associations to compliance actions by local authorities. Boards also subject their associations, their members, and the other owners to unacceptable risks associated with possible property damage, personal injury, and loss of life. Wise association boards seek to understand and comply with local fire alarm requirements. My office is here to help if your board is unclear about the association's obligations in this area.
