In Oct of 2004, people employed by Jefferson Cyn came into my apartment to test the fire alarms. I did not get any notice about this, which was odd considering the MANY notices we had received in the past. (By law, the complex is supposed to give 24 hrs notice of alarm testing.)
I don't have space to get into all the specifics here, but I asked for "30 seconds" to put on some jeans (I was in pajamas) and get out of the apartment.
The Alarm Testers waited until I was in a bedroom, changing clothes. One said, "I have too much work to do; I'm turning them on."
I was trapped. Since there are laws about having TOO FEW fire alarms, but not about having TOO MANY, Jefferson packs apartments with far more alarms than is neccessary or safe.
I couldn't get out of the bedroom, because my PJ's were around my ankles; I tried to walk but realized I was going to trip. So I covered my ears for a minute or so. Realizing the alarms could blare for a very long time, I took my hands away from my ears, pulled up my pajamas, opened the bedroom door, then tried to push past the Alarm guys blocking the doorway... It took me a little while.
Since then, I have suffered from severe Tinnitus (ringing, hissing and screeching in my ears), hearing loss, and Recruitment (a terrible sensitivity to even soft sound).
***
Someone in the office admitted to me he'd had complaints from tenants who didn't get notice of alarm testing.
***
I wrote a letter to the manager, explaining what had happened. Loud noise is DANGEROUS; this is known, it is a fact, it causes hearing loss and other problems.
***
The apartment manager responded by leaving me a message saying Jefferson was in no way responsible. Amazingly, she GUARENTEED ME that the alarms would continue to malfunction, be set off accidentally by tenants etc.
***
I have tried at least half a dozen medications for my new hearing problems, and nothing has worked. I can't even grocery shop for myself, as the sound of street traffic, crowds and the supermarket check-out scanner feels like a screwdriver is being jammed into my ears, and makes the tinnitus and recruitment worse.
***
Jefferson Management immediately tried covering its tracks, and they way they behaved was shameful. (They tried pretending all tenants had received Fire Alarm notice, which was clear wasn't the truth.)
***
I contacted attorneys but was told that due to tort reform, it is virtually impossible to sue. Since Jefferson Cyn promised me this kind of thing will continue, I am shocked, saddened and sickened that others will be injured in the future.
***
PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED FURTER INFORMATION. I put Jefferson on notice about the problem, and was told they would ignore it. If you are injured by a similar irresponsible act, I can help you prove Jefferson was well aware of the problem, and chose to do nothing to stop it from happening again.
***
I can barely speak on the telephone, my hearing is so fouled up. The ENT's have tried cortisone, dyazide, neurontin and several other medicines, but I am getting progressively worse.
***
An attorney told me, in the state of Texas, he needs a disfigured baby as a client to win a lawsuit. It is WRONG that any company is allowed to get away with ruining a person's health. If the Jefferson Employees had said straight off, "No, we're not waiting," I'd have gone outside directly. But they trapped me, so I was forced to suffer the alarm for too long.
***
People may have a different susceptibility thresholds to hearing damage, but the overkill of so many fire alarms in such a small, enclosed area is dangerous and deafening. NO ONE exposed to the DB levels that I was would have escaped without some hiss and hearing loss. This is why there are guidelines about noise levels in the workplace: people go DEAF when the noise is too loud. Look it up online. It is well known by audiologists and ent's.
***
I can be reached at:
jeffersonvictim@yahoo.com
***
I can prove Jefferson Management was apprised of the problem in Oct 04, so if you suffer due to do their repeated negligence, you may have an easier time getting them to pay your medical bills or pursuing the matter in court.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/22/2007
I am a resident here, been in this apt for about a year. When we first moved in we had serious problems with our smoke detectors going off for no reason, esp in the middle of the night. It was very strange, all the smoke detectors going off consistently at between 3-6am.. well when we complained about it, a maintenance man (child actually, i think he was maybe 16, god knows what he could possibly know about commercial maintenance) came over and told us that we should replace the batteries in all the units, so we borrowed a ladder from my parents to reach the 20ft vaulted ceilings in the living room, changed the batteries, did the same for the one in the hall, the one in the bedroom, the one in the other bedroom, the one in the other 'hall', and the one in my closet, yes, closet. To no avail!!! they kept going off, so we called maintenance back up, and they then told us to go head and take the batteries out, cause they didn't know how to fix the problem. OH and the real kicker is, they came by to do a 'fire alarm inspection', saw that we had taken down all of our smoke detectors, and they didn't do anything!!! I haven't had a working smoke detector in my apartment for almost a year now. Quality... I'm moving out.

Your thoughts? Post a response to this review. Display my response: with my username anonymously Responses appear below reviews and one response per user is permitted.

   Free estimates on moving trucks      Find apartment share/roommates