What To Do If Your Apartment Complex Sprinkler System Goes Off

9/22/2020 (Permalink)

Sprinkler systems are in place to save lives and prevent fire damage, but sprinkler systems can also cause undesired water damage if they go off at an inopportune time or are triggered by kitchen smoke or a candle. However, the majority of the time, they go off because there is a fire detected in your apartment complex. When this happens, here’s what to do next.

1. Evacuate the building.

Even if you believe that your sprinkler system was triggered by something less serious than an apartment fire, your safety should always come first. It’s time to get out of the building when your sprinkler system activates—your life may depend on it. 

2. Call the fire department.

If the fire department isn’t already on its way or hasn’t shown up yet, be sure to dial 911. Your sprinkler system often is activated by heat, and the fire in question may be in someone else’s apartment even if you don’t see any occurring in your own rental unit. 

3. Contact your renter’s insurance carrier.

If you believe that your belongings and/or your apartment have been affected by the sprinkler system going off, you should contact your renter’s insurance carrier. Although water damage from a sprinkler system is often much more palatable than the water damage fire hoses may wreak if there actually is a fire, getting water soaked into your belongings is never a fun time. Be sure to take pictures of the damage caused by the water and start to dry out items if they seem salvageable.

4. Save the pieces of the sprinkler system when you return to your apartment.

This step is only relevant if your apartment hasn’t been ravaged by fire. If your apartment complex’s sprinkler system did go off by accident, it’s crucial to save the pieces of the sprinkler system that scattered throughout your apartment when it went off to identify the reason why the sprinkler system was activated. This is crucial to know for insurance purposes.

5. Call the professionals.

If you are the apartment owner and the sprinkler system went off, you should call water damage restoration specialists like the team at SERVPRO of Belle Meade/West Nashville to come out and assess the damage as well as restore it.

Above all, stay safe and make your own well-being the first priority if your apartment complex’s sprinkler system goes off! To examine any damage caused by the sprinkler system, call (615) 242-9391 for SERVPRO of Belle Meade/West Nashville’s experienced technicians to arrive at the scene and take care of the mess. We’re here to help.