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1. Why participate in SPARE?

SPARE has the potential to decrease on-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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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.