NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 10

Dispatches
BUILDING SAFETY
CONDO
CONUNDRUM
THE COLLAPSE OF A FLORIDA APARTMENT
BUILDING HIGHLIGHTS THE RISKS THAT CAN
ACCOMPANY CONDOMINIUM OWNERSHIP,
INCLUDING CONFLICTS THAT CAN DELAY OR
PREVENT BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS.
ALTERING THAT DYNAMIC IS MUCH EASIER
SAID THAN DONE.
By Angelo Verzoni
E
arly on the morning of June 24,
a 12-story condominium in the
Miami suburb of Surfside partially
collapsed, killing more than 90
people, mostly residents of the
PASTEL LIVING
A condominium
complex in Miami,
where a building
collapse in June
highlighted issues
related to building
inspection, code
compliance, and
the responsibilities
of owners.
GETTY IMAGES
tower who were asleep at the time. It was one of
the deadliest non-deliberate building collapses
in the nation's history. Investigators say it could
take years to determine what caused the 40-yearold
building to fall.
Even so, public-safety experts say the incident
already offers valuable lessons about the
importance of building inspections and code
compliance. In particular, experts say, it highlights
the public's lack of understanding of the
critical role these safeguards play in our society.
But for apartment buildings characterized by
condominium ownership-where residents own
their units and typically share in the management
and funding of property upkeep-the issue
can be difficult to correct.
10 | NFPA JOURNAL * FALL 2021
" In my experience, society generally puts up
with the functions of code enforcement agencies,
but unless they reap the tangible rewards of an
effective code enforcement program, such as safe
neighborhoods, sanitary living conditions, and the
disappearance of neighborhood blight, they may
not completely comprehend what it is we do, " said
Michael Savage, director of the Building Safety
department in Marion County, Florida. " Unfortunately,
it's in situations like the collapse where a
light gets shined on the important role a building
safety department or code enforcement department
plays in the betterment of our society. "
Ownership challenges
In 1981, when Champlain Towers South opened
at 8777 Collins Avenue in Surfside, Florida,
advertisements touted the building's 136 units as
" magnificent, " " elegant, " and just 200 feet from
Full Moon Beach.
But nearly four decades later, documents
show the structure was in dire need of work. A
2018 structural engineering
report on the building
detailed major deficiencies
in its parking garage and
pool deck. " Abundant cracking
and spalling of varying
degrees was observed in the
concrete columns, beams,
and walls, " the report by
Maryland-based Morabito
Consultants reads. " Though
NFPA.ORG/
DISPATCHES
Watch a video
featuring Dave
Downey, former
Miami-Dade fire
chief, discussing
the search-andrescue
efforts
that took place
in Surfside in the
days following the
building collapse.
some of this damage is minor, most of the concrete
deterioration needs to be repaired in a
timely fashion. " That never happened.
According to various media reports, about
a month after the report was released, a town
official in Surfside assured Champlain Towers
residents that the building was in " very good
shape. "
In April of this year, another warning came by
way of a letter from the president of the condo
association's board of directors, Jean Wodnicki,
to residents of the building. " The concrete deterioration
is accelerating, " she wrote, proposing
a $15 million plan to correct the issues. The
building, Wodnicki said, was due for its 40-year
inspection, as required by Florida law, later this
year. It was too late. Just over two months after
Wodnicki sent her letter, the building collapsed.
Experts say this pattern of warnings followed
by inaction should be a lesson to communities
nationwide in what not to do.
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NFPA Journal - Fall 2021

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