Call Rafael: Tenants at northeast side apartment at risk with missing smoke detectors, unserviced fire extinguishers

INDIANAPOLIS — Missing smoke detectors and missing fire extinguishers are cause for concern at the Serenity Park Apartments on Indy’s northeast side.

Management for Serenity Park Apartments, which is located on 9060 East 39th Place, told FOX59/CBS4 that it’s working to correct the multiple violations we uncovered last week during a complaint call about squatters and a water leak.

Sandra Weston, who lives at Serenity Park, is worried about squatters taking over a vacant apartment in her complex and the leaks in her unit. 

“These are the goulashes that I wear when it’s raining in my kitchen. I have standing water like this,” Weston said.

Sandra shared more observations that would expose a safety problem not addressed in years at the complex.

“I have not had smoke detectors since I moved in,” Weston said.

She’s not alone. As FOX59/CBS4’s Rafael Sanchez walked around the property, he found common areas with no smoke detectors or fire extinguishers. In several cases where there was an extinguisher, the tags told an alarming story.

Per Indianapolis code, fire extinguishers must be checked every year. But in some cases, we found safety devices that had not been serviced for as many as five years.

Rafael took pictures and videos of the violations before he reached out to the Indianapolis Fire Department with concerns.

The agency wasted no time in sending out an inspection team. They did find some working smoke detectors, but they found plenty of common places where critical fire safety tools were missing in action, from hallways to laundry rooms.

Fire inspectors can only inspect safety equipment in the common areas, not in individual apartments.

In some cases, the IFD team found other violations, like pieces of cardboard behind water heaters, which are a fire hazard.

“We have people working hard, paying their money and they are not getting the help they need,” said former maintenance worker Millen Glenn.

FOX59/CBS4 received the Inspection Result and Order to Correct Violation from the Indianapolis Fire Department on Wednesday, based on their inspection that took place on Oct. 15.

The page report informs the complex that it failed in the testing and maintenance of smoke alarms in the common areas, and the complex failed in the servicing of portable fire extinguishers. Page three of the report gives the complex 15 days to correct the violations with a potential fine not to exceed $2,500 per violation if nothing is done.

The IFD inspection team plans to return to the complex on or after Nov. 20.

A spokeswoman for Serenity Park Apartments sent a statement saying, “We were made aware of these issues and have already taken immediate action to address and resolve them.”

In a separate phone call, the spokeswoman invited Rafael back to the property once all the issues with the smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are addressed.