Hills Plaza is equipped with a state-of-the-art fire/life safety system. The building is equipped as follows:
Fire Alarm Pull System
If you spot smoke or fire, pull down on the fire alarm pull station located at each stairwell exit and elevator lobby. This triggers the alarm to sound and alerts the monitoring station which will contact the Fire Department.
Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors are located in the ceiling throughout tenant spaces and corridors. When activated, they trigger the alarm sound and automatically alert the monitoring station which will contact the Fire Department.
Sprinklers
The building is fully sprinklered. Sprinkler heads will activate with a significant rise in temperature.
Speakers
Speakers are located throughout the tenant floors and will sound a whooping tone when an alarm is activated. They are also used to transmit information.
Strobe Lights
Strobe lights located throughout tenant floors will flash on and off when an alarm is activated. The strobe lights are intended for the hearing impaired.
Elevators
Elevators are recalled to the ground floor during any alarm. Please do not use the elevators in the event of an alarm. Use the stairs to exit the building when you hear the alarm or see the strobes activated
Emergency Lighting
In the event of a power outage, the emergency generator will power emergency lighting for exiting.
Stairwells/Exiting
The exit stairwells are pressurized and act as a safe haven in the event of a fire. There are five exit stairwells at 345 Spear and two exit stairwells at 2 Harrison.
- 345 Spear: Stairwell number 1 exits onto Spear Street, stairwell numbers 2, 3, and 4 on Folsom Street and stairwell number 5 exits onto the Embarcadero.
- 2 Harrison: Stairwells exit on the plaza.
Should an alarm sound on your floor, you must follow the instructions of your Floor Warden and calmly walk down the exit stairwell and exit the building to your predetermined meeting spot.
Fire Extinguishers
Multi-purpose dry chemical fire extinguishers are located throughout each floor. These should be used only in case of a small trash can fire. They weigh approximately twelve pounds and are easily handled ONLY if you are trained and knowledgeable in the use of extinguishers. Please do NOT attempt to use a fire extinguisher unless you have had proper training. Never attempt to “control” a fire.
- Do NOT use the extinguisher if the fire is spreading beyond the immediate area.
- Do NOT use an extinguisher if the fire could block your escape route.
Fire Valves and Standpipe Connections
Fire hose and standpipe connections are for use by the San Francisco Fire Department. Fire hose connections are located on all floors in each exit stairwell. Standpipe connections are located outside the building on Spear Street, Folsom Street and Embarcadero Street and Harrison Street and are used by the Fire Department to connect their hoses to fight a fire if water pressure is lost from the City.
Fire Doors
All exit doors at stairwells are fired rated doors. Please never prop these doors open.
Fire Alarms
The alarm system will annunciate only on the alarm floor, the floor above and two floors below. Initial instructions to evacuate will be broadcast over the Public Address System to only those floors. If necessary, additional evacuation instructions will be made by the San Francisco Fire Department’s Officer in Command or the building’s Life Safety Director. The instructions will be transmitted over the Public Address System to the rest of occupants of the building.
Communication System
The announcement you will hear from the Public Address System in the event of an emergency will be as follows:
“May I have your attention, please. An alarm has been turned in on the ______ floor - walk to your emergency exit stairwells and relocate out of the building to your designated meeting spot. Follow the instructions of your Floor Wardens. Do NOT use the elevators.”
Emergency Generator
The emergency generator is designed to power the emergency equipment in the building in the event of a power failure. The system is designed to give us eight (8) hours of electricity to provide operation of our life safety equipment, fire pumps, fans, emergency lighting and power to operate one elevator in each lobby.