I-TEAM: What are Code Red properties?

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Whether you’re on a busy Toledo street like West Bancroft or in a more quiet neighborhood like on Elmwood Avenue, you will find houses and buildings with orange signs.

Battalion Chief Blake Molnar with the Fire Prevention Bureau of the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department (TFRD) said those signs are a warning for fire crews. They keep firefighters safe.

“This is that stop sign for us,” Molnar said.

It’s a Code Red sticker, which indicates a property isn’t safe for firefighters to go inside unless they are trying to save someone.

“A quick reminder that there is something in this building that could injure or kill us,” Molnar said.

Those with TFRD tell 13 Action News that the Code Red practice has been in place for at least 20 years. The label only goes on properties that are believed to be abandoned that pose a risk to those fire crews.

Molnar said there are about 200 properties on TFRD’s Code Red list.

A City of Toledo spokesperson said 62 of them are on the city’s demolition list currently, but that’s a decision the fire department doesn’t control, according to Molnar.

Despite how many of these properties look, the city spokesperson went on to say that these buildings aren’t automatically placed on the demolition list. The statement says:

Code Red properties are not automatically placed on the demolition list. When determining whether a property should be considered for demolition, several factors are evaluated. A Code Red designation is one of those factors, but it is not the sole criterion used to establish priority. Our first hope is that property owners will step up and preserve properties that are still viable for rehabilitation.

If you live by a Code Red property and have questions or if you see people going in and out of one, those with TFRD recommend that you report it to Engage Toledo.

Otherwise, the public is advised to stay away from these properties.

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