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High Rise Building EvacuationRonald Porep, Chicago Coresspondent |
Volume 2 Issue 16March 2003 |
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On September 11th, two commercial airlines took down two towers of the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City. Bombs have also taken out high rise offices in both New York City and Oklahoma City. And, a fire – accidental or intentional – can place anyone working in an office high above the street in grave danger. As usual though, knowledge is power. The more you know about surviving a disaster, the more likely you are to live through it. Here is what you need to know before disaster strikes. Knowledge |
A High Rise Workplace |
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Knowledge is one requirement to survive a high rise disaster. Know your building’s evacuation plan. Make sure everyone knows the plan too. Be sure your building manager posts evacuation plans in high traffic common areas, such as lobbies. Learn the sound of your building’s fire alarm. Know at least two escape routes (including windows) from every room in your building. If you have to escape in the dark by feeling your way along the wall, know the number of doors between your office space and the two nearest building exits. Know where to find your building’s fire alarms, and learn how to use them. Post emergency fire-department numbers near all telephones. All that information should be part of your building’s evacuation plan. If your building does not have an evacuation plan then demand that one be created immediately. It is your life on the line. Cooperation Another requirement to survive a high rise disaster is working together. Evacuation procedures for high-rise buildings are similar to those for other buildings, but with large numbers of people evacuating at the same time – some of them from upper floors – cooperation and precision are all the more important. If you can hear instructions over your building’s public address system, listen carefully and do as you are told. You might be told to stay where you are. Leave the fire area quickly, closing all doors behind you to slow the spread of fire and smoke. Whatever officials tell you to do, follow orders unless such orders directly endanger your life. If so, then follow alternatives in your building’s evacuation plan. Common Sense If you encounter smoke or flames, use an alternative escape route. Some evacuation plans may require you to go to a "safe area" inside the a building and wait for the fire department to supervise evacuation. Follow the plan and official instructions as much as possible but do not surrender your common sense. If you must escape through smoke crawl low. Heat and smoke rise. Cleaner air will be 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 centimeters) above the floor. Never use an elevator during a fire. It may stop at a floor where the fire is burning or malfunction and trap you. Go directly to a stairwell that’s free of smoke and flame. Test doors before you open them. Kneeling or crouching, reach up as high as you can and touch the door, the knob, and the space between the door and its frame with the back of your hand. If the door is hot, use an alternative escape route. If the door feels cool, open it carefully and be ready to slam it shut if smoke or heat rush in. In other words, get to safety but travel there wisely so you survive
the trip. And, once you are out, stay out, and stay out of the way of
firefighters. Tell the firemen if you know of anyone trapped in the
building. Do not go back inside for any reason, until the firefighters
tell you it is safe to do so. If you can not get to safety then protect yourself as much as you can. If possible, go to a room with an outside window and a telephone. Close the door between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the door with towels, rags, or bedding and cover vents to keep the smoke out of the room. If there’s a phone in the room where you’re trapped, call 911 and tell them exactly where you are. Do this even if you can see fire trucks on the street below. Wait at the window and signal for help with a flashlight, if you have one, or by waving a sheet or other light-colored cloth. If possible, open the window at the top and bottom, but do not break the window. Be ready to close the window quickly if smoke rushes in. And, most important, be patient. Rescuing all the occupants of a high-rise building can take several hours. Emergency personnel will do the best they can to save you. You, however, need to obey orders and not do something stupid like jump out a window or off a roof. Your chances of surviving such a jump are very poor – much less than waiting for help to arrive. Conclusion If you survive the initial blast of a disaster, you can survive the disaster. All survival takes is: Knowledge, Common sense, and Cooperation. |
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