Is Your Church Safe in the Snow?

"A historical church that's among the few that survived the Great Chicago Fire sustained extensive damage from this week's blizzard. 

The roof of First Baptist Congregational Church, at 1613 W. Washington, collapsed from the weight of the snow damaging the church's exterior and interior."

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/weather/stories/Blizzard-Damages-Chicago-Landmark-115275724.html#ixzz1D1c8hMLN

I noticed several recent articles in the news regarding churches that sustained damage due to the heavy snow fall. A large part of the nation received extensive snow fall this past week. I thought that this would serve as a good reminder to make sure that your church facility is ready for the winter weather. If your area experiences heavy snow fall make it a priority to have someone safely remove excess snow from the roof of your building. Many churches (especially older ones) can not hold the added weight for an extended period of time.

Snow Day!

The East Cost is being hit with what the National Weather Service is calling one of the worst storms in recent history! While listening to the radio today a listener called into the station pleading to other listeners to make sure they clear the fire hydrants of snow within their neighborhoods. The caller went on to state that during the last storm in DC she had a close friend who's house burnt down because fire fighters could not find the fire hydrant because it was buried under the snow!


I have the same plea to you!! Please make sure that all fire hydrants around your church are fully clear of snow. This is a small task that can make a big difference!

Blizzard 2009 – Church Safety and Security

A large part of the country was hit by a blizzard this past weekend. Below are a few safety tips to consider in reference to the snow and your church facility:

~ Are all emergency exits clear of snow?
~ Are all fire hydrants completely visible and clear of snow?
~ Are all fire department connections also known as building sprinkler connection clear and visible?
~ Are all sprinkler rooms clear of snow, specifically so exterior doors are free to open?

Remember to keep all sidewalks clear of snow and ice. You do not want the liability of someone slipping and hurting themselves. Even if this still occurs you can show the court that you attempted to rectify the problem by shoveling and salting all walkways and parking areas. If you do nothing then I court may find you fully liable.

This is a good idea; however, I would take it one step further… Why give the fire department one more thing to do before they can save your church facility… Completely clear snow away from fire hydrants.

Clear snow all the way to the base of the fire hydrants. Don’t stop just below the water connections. Remember most fire hydrants have more than one connection. Clear 360˚around the hydrant.

This is the end of a fire department connection. This is a newer style system that allows the fire department to hook up to one end and boost the pressure to a separate location. The FD can then hook up a standpipe pack for initial entry. I tried to find the initial connection and this is all I was able to come up with (see picture below). The sad part was that I knew where is was suppose to be.