Security Sales & Integration February 2022 - 44

Special Report
Condo Collapse
Lessons
Do you disclose to the subscriber the need
to institute a fire watch for their building
until the system can be serviced, or do you
wait until the technician arrives to make this
determination onsite days later? Do you contact
the local authority having jurisdiction
(AHJ) and advise them that the building fire
alarm system is nonfunctional? Or do you say
nothing because you believe that the costs for
the repairs will push the subscribers to cancel
their services?
From a forensic perspective, it is instrucEarly
on June 24, 2021, before
the partial building collapse,
there are multiple sources of
information that confirm the
security guard who was working
in the lobby at Champlain
Towers South was hearing
strange sounds coming from
within the building.
tive to understand that risk is ubiquitous in
the alarm and central station industries, and
regardless of the venue, employees need to be
professionally trained and supervised. Additionally,
in Florida, like in many jurisdictions
across the country, there are licensing laws of
which all alarm contractors are required to
comply. These statutory duties are set forth in
Chapter 489, Part II, of Florida Statutes and
Rule 61G6 of the Florida Administrative Code.
There are also qualifier requirements whereby
the license holder is required to supervise the
company's installers when they perform alarm
contracting services.
Points of Failure
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in this tragic
loss of life, the issues relating to the building
fire alarm system may circle around what,
if any, difference it would have made had the
voice evacuation system in the premises worked,
whereby persons in their apartments could have
In Florida (as in many jurisdictions), alarm contractors
must comply with certain licensing laws.
These statutory duties are set forth in Chapter
489, Part II, of Florida Statutes and Rule 61G6 of
the Florida Administrative Code.
been warned to leave the building immediately.
Notably, the window of opportunity for persons
in this building to escape is estimated to
be seven to 19 minutes from when the security
guard recognized that everyone in the building
needed to be warned to evacuate. The clock
starts when the security guard recognizes the
need to react, and then what, if anything, they
did and/or did not do before the building partially
collapsed.
In the alarm contracting business, you never
know when one of your subscribers will suffer
a loss by burglary, an act of God, fire, smoke,
earthquake or in this case the building partially
collapsing down onto so many unsuspecting
occupants who perished while living at Champlain
Towers South.
Some in the industry believe their alarm
and monitoring contracts will protect them no
matter what and/or who files a cause of action
against their company in that their contracts
contain a limitation of liability, third-party
indemnification, and other protective clauses
such as waiver of jury trial and/or waiver of
subrogation provisions. However, no alarm
company can rely on their contract to legally
protect them under all circumstances based on
differing fact patterns and the way in which
cases and claims are made against alarm companies
and central stations across the country.
Alarm Company Checklist
With this in mind, how many of your accounts
are in trouble and/or in supervisory
today? How long have they been in trouble
and/or in supervisory? Have any of your subscribers
refused service, and/or have they re44
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Security Sales & Integration February 2022

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