Emergency Vs Non Emergency

I want to make a nice maintenance flyer i can hand out to residents of my buildings that is a “when to call emergency maintenance. I manage several sky rises in San Francisco. Before I start from scratch, was wondering if anyone could share something like this if you have one. TIA!

Kerry lives in a high-rise, so hopefully will have some examples.

In general, ff you're dealing with attached homes, it's best to assume a maintenance issue is an emergency until a professional decides it isn't.

Also, check what the CC&Rs say in each community. Ours have a statement requiring condo owners to promptly report any issue in the common elements. You don't want to do anything that discourages reporting, even if an owner incorrectly decides that they have an emergency when they don't.

Some of this will depend on the nature of the buildings. Does the association provide heat and cooling, for example? Then any problems with those are emergencies. Ditto plumbing and other utilities. Is somebody's smoke detector squawking? Emergency, but call the fire department, not the building manager. Smoke in the hallways, ditto. Odd or unpleasant smells in a hallway? I'd treat that as an emergency, but maybe not a fire department emergency. (Some of this may be different if your buildings are equipped with an automatic sprinkler system.)

(Do I remember correctly that there was dripping water in the garage underneath the collapsed Surfside condo building? You have to wonder how many lives could have been saved if somebody had looked at that and said "yipes - bad" rather than thinking "oh yeah, it does that".)

I know, I do understand everyone thinks everything is an emergency. Was perhaps trying to cut the amount of those people down with some kind of information sheet! I also have to say I am brand new to San Francisco/high rises, as I use to manage Ohio. But you are right, maybe a more general flyer would be helpful.

I never thought about the flyer discouraging reporting. I certainly don’t want to do that. I guess I am just trying to get the property back on track with reference material. I am trying to create a dispatch sheet, with questions they should ask when they call in, but that is a whole different project.

So it seems like most would advise I make a general list/flyer of who to call when such and such happens. Although that can be so broad too.

And yes-Surfside was a product of neglect. This is why I have already hired professions to inspect all balconies now for structural issues rather than wait until the law kicks in in 2023. You would think they would want it done immediately.

That is more of an emergency evacuation plan, or in case you are stuck in your building due to a national emergency. I was looking for more maintenance emergencies.

Trying to get Jennifer's situation: Did you manage high rises in Ohio? You say you manage several in SF. But in my area, just one high-rise is usually managed by a manager. They aren't usually part of a portfolio. Soa re you some kind of regional manger? Without naming them, is your employer a national mgmt. company?

In our high rise, all maintenance calls from residents go to our PM or asst,. mgr. After hours, all calls go to our security staff. The latter phone mgmt for further instructions.

Some items on you list seem a bit odd. Fire, for example would be a call to the fire dept. Intruder would be connect with the police. I can't imagine frozen pipes in SF high rise. What are "electrical issues?"

I think you will get a lot of flak if you tell residents not to call the emergency number for no heat when the temperature is 51 degrees outside, or no ac when the temperature is 89 degrees outside.

This is a good list; I’d make some minor changes. Leave off “no heat/ac” over/under certain temps. People have various tolerances and temp related health issues what isn’t urgent for one might be urgent for another. Make that a case by case scenario.

Intruder - call 911 first
Carbon monoxide or gas leak -get somewhere safe and call utility company first. Honestly this could be 911 too.

And emphasize any risk to healthy, life, personal safety - 911 first. You don’t think it needs to be spelled out but I’ve had someone call me first when a building was on fire.