Fire alarm brings safety issues to light at Nahant housing facility

NAHANT – Ongoing construction at the Spindrift made for a difficult exit for seniors during a fire alarm Sunday, which Housing Authority Director Donna McDonald said was frightening for some.With the front entrance to the building closed off for re-paving, the 29 residents were forced to exit through the side door when a resident?s burned toast triggered the alarm around 11 a.m. Sunday. Unknown to McDonald, there was a 6-inch “lip” at that side door that was tough to maneuver around with a wheelchair or walker.On Tuesday, about 15 of those seniors crowded into a room at the building to meet with representatives from contractor EJ Paving and the Nahant Fire Department.?We were all stuck out there thinking if this would have happened at night it would have been bad,” said resident Gretchen Bankurt.McDonald said she?s never heard anyone complain about the lip by the door until now, because the front entrance was blocked.Spindrift maintenance staff temporarily corrected the issue on Monday with a piece of plywood placed over the lip on the side door, said McDonald. Contractor John Sullivan said he will pave over the ramp there and will have the front door ready this week for an emergency exit if necessary.?Say something did happen – and we couldn?t exit the door because it was blocked – who is liable for that?” asked Bankurt.?That?s a good question,” replied Sullivan.The fire alarm also brought to McDonald?s attention that the building would need automated doors and reminded firefighter John Tibbo that the Spindrift was due for a fire drill.Residents also complained that the fire engine clipped some of the new curbing on the way into the parking lot. Tibbo denied that but said firefighters had difficulty exiting the lot because there was a construction vehicle in the way.