If you actually take the time to look at the architectural structure of most commercial buildings in Florida, they are quite beautifully designed— most built with truss roofing and flooring. As a consumer, such a building design is visually stimulating and doesn’t seem dangerous in the least bit, but as a Building Owner or Property Manager, that same beautiful truss roof or floor could become hazardous in the case of a serious fire.
If a serious fire were to take place in a building designed with truss floors or roofs, there is a great chance that those same floors or roofs could collapse while first-time responders are on the premises and such an incident could be fatal, if not deadly.
For that primary reason, the State of Florida Fire Marshal’s Office has recently implemented a new Truss Marking Rule that requires Building Owners and Managers to post new warning signage on their buildings. This new regulation (69A-60.0081), established as of December 13, 2009, applies to any building in the state of Florida that has roof or floor trusses.
Now I am sure some of you are questioning whether your building has truss roofing or flooring and if this regulation applies to you. In the Fire Marshal’s official news release, truss roofing and flooring has been clearly defined as “light frame.” To the left, you can see examples of both truss roofs and floors.
The requirements of how the sign should look are also clearly defined by the Fire Marshal as “a sign with a Maltese Cross measuring 8 inches horizontally and 8 inches vertically produced of a bright red material with a reflective background. We recommend the sign be 12 inches by 12 inches to ensure the cross is highly visible.
Something like a small sign may not seem important to you, but you want to remember that it could save someone’s life in a harmful situation like a fire. Don’t let something so minor cause a major problem, like injury or death.
Owner of SIGNARAMA Davie, Gina Leggiere, can testify first-hand that the signs are a good prevention method for keeping first responders, such as firefighters, away from harm or even death in a serious fire.
“When I was growing up in New Jersey, one of my family members was a fire fighter and was killed instantly when he was on top of a truss roof building while trying to put out the fire. In the midst of him trying to put the fire out, the roof caved in and he plunged to his death. That could have easily been prevented if there were signage to warn him,” Leggiere said.
In an effort to prevent harm or death during the occurrence of a fire, the Truss Marking Rule has been imposed onto all multi-tenant and commercial buildings including apartment buildings, clubhouses, restaurants, shopping centers, maintenance shops, townhomes and every other building that has truss roofing or flooring.
Although the sign may seem minor and unimportant, it will allow a building owner’s organization to meet the required regulations of Florida as well as inform Floridians of potential danger in the case of a fire.
The rule is required to be in compliance no later than March 13, 2010. Obviously that date has passed, so that means its time to put some pep in your step and get your signage needs met today!
The best advice we can give you is abide by the minor regulation and order your signage for your buildings. If you own several building that have truss floors or roofs, order your signs in bulk, and the cost per sign will come out much cheaper! Although a small 12 inch sign may seem petty to you, it could save someone’s life and keep you in good standing with Florida’s Fire Marshal.
For specific information to find out how this rule applies to your building, contact your local Fire Marshal and your Building Engineer.
Signs can be ordered in any quantity from one to thousands and at a discounted rate for large orders from SIGNARAMA of Davie, FL. You can combine all of your properties and place one large order to obtain the best price possible. For more information or to receive a quote, contact Gina Leggiere, owner of SIGNARAMA Davie via telephone at (954) 476-4923 or through email at sar@daviesignarama.com
