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	Structural Plans to Assist in Residential Emergencies
	Overview     FAQs     Plan Submittal     Sample Emergency Plans

Overview

What is SPARE? - Simplified Plans to Assist in Residential Emergencies

SPARE is a program that will enhance the ability of the Public Safety Department to respond to an emergency situation in improved fashion. Essentially, it places a brief and concise blueprint of a subject home in the view of the responding officers so that they immediately know the location of critical information regarding the physical characteristics of the home, i.e. exit doors, elevators, stairways, hazardous material storage, utility shut-offs and "sensitive" areas.

Additional information may also be provided by the owner in the form of notes on the plan including, but not limited to, specifying special occupancy (i.e. children, elderly, invalid), hazardous materials storage and special room use (i.e. wood and automobile "workshops"). Public Safety could identify those categories that would be most useful in "nutshell" form. This information could easily be forwarded by dispatch to vehicles en route or viewed on the vehicle screen.

Dispatch will have immediate access to the SPARE plans, which will be stored in the Dunn Blue "Planwell" system. This system is currently being used as the highly secure vault for all Building Department plans in the City.

Future Use

Access to the plan vault from emergency vehicles is available now. Responders log onto Planwell via on-board computers and view the SPARE plan on the vehicle’s monitor while at the emergency scene.

Plan Availability

Adding the plans to the database would entail simple scanning of the plan and transfer to a CD in a view-only format. Plans would have to be provided by the owners at their own expense. The SPARE plan will be made a part of the Planwell database in a special folder. Once on the website, responders need only to insert the numerical part of the address in the search field, then select the property in question. By selecting the SPARE sub-folder, the plan is immediately placed on the screen and ready for viewing. If there were no SPARE plan shown, the responders would know that the plans are not available and proceed as before this program was made available.

Plans

Since most architectural drawing are in electronic format, architects can "layer out" unnecessary details in easy and relatively inexpensive fashion. For homes under construction, the drawings are readily available now through the architect. If the home is older, the owners may be able to contact the author of the plans or have sketches prepared by others. Local reprographic houses can inexpensively assist with CD preparation.

Information Updates

It would be the responsibility of the property owner to keep the data files updated as to use and special conditions. A sample form is available in City offices or on the City website.

Questions and Answers

Why participate in SPARE?

SPARE has the potential to decrease 0n-site response time, lessen property damage and reduce the potential for injury or loss of life in response to a fire, medical or security emergency.

What is a SPARE plan?

A SPARE plan is simply the floor plan pages with critical areas highlighted in RED. Each floor is detailed on a separate page. A separate sheet would provide other specific information critical to the structure and its occupants.

How are plans prepared?

Any plan author (architect) can digitally prepare the plans and have them copied into CD/ROM format. Since the inception of CAD drawings, this is an especially easy and cost effective production. Otherwise, if you have a copy of the floor plan pages, the required details can be provided in RED and then transferred to a CD by a local reprographic center with large format scanning capability.

Why not just use the building plans the City has stored in the Planwell system instead?

The plans that were used to construct your home have many pages. And, the details are extensive. It would take far too long for a responder to locate the appropriate page in your home’s "file", and then sift through the plan pages for the areas of concern. Simply having the SPARE file on record can save precious minutes in just about any kind of emergency situation.

What plans are required?

Simply provide plan pages that depict an overview of each separate level of your home. Show detached accessory buildings on separate pages as well. Do not provide and exterior views (elevations) or cut-views (sections). Addresses must be clearly shown on each page and owner’s names MUST be omitted.

Is SPARE a mandatory program?

As of December 1, 2008, all applicants for all new homes and major addition/alteration projects must submit SPARE plans prior to final inspections and issuance of a certificate of occupancy. Participation by other residents is strictly voluntary.

How are SPARE plans secured?

All building plans in the City of Bloomfield Hills are being electronically stored in the Planwell System, hosted locally by Dunn Blue Reprographers. The System has national security clearance and has provided the same service for numerous sensitive federal buildings. This is a highly secure site with several layers of protection and only City officials and the Public Safety Department have access to the site.

What is the cost to have a SPARE plan included in the program?

There is no charge to City residents who provide CD/ROMS with SPARE plans. And, there is no charge to replace SPARE plans with updated versions of floor plans as structures change over time

What is SPACE?

SPACE is merely the commercial/institutional version of the SPARE program. While the plan requirements may vary slightly, all other aspects of the program function in the same way.