Susan Lindenmuth
Public Relations Manager
21500 Three Oaks Parkway
Estero, FL 33928

Office: (239) 390-8000

Email:
lindenmuth@esterofire.org
www.esterofire.org

“As with any situation in our daily lives, YOU are ultimately in control of your fate to a great degree.”

Evacuating High Rises

Is high-rise building evacuation different from other buildings?

The multiple floors of a high-rise building create the cumulative effect of requiring great numbers of persons to travel great vertical distances on stairs in order to evacuate the building. The physical demands made on occupants often exceed the capabilities of many.

The fire and life safety systems installed in high-rise buildings today, including automatic fire sprinkler protection, are designed to control a fire and therefore lessen the need to evacuate all occupants. In a typical scenario, the occupants of the fire floor and the floors immediately above and below it should immediately use the exit stairs to descend to a floor level that is at least several floors below the fire floor, and await further instructions from safety officials.

What are the key elements of emergency preparedness?

Early warning (typically through an alarm or voice communication system), adequate means of egress (exit routes) and occupant familiarity with the plan through knowledge and practice.

If stair travel is potentially dangerous, are there alternative?

The construction, Fire protection and life safety systems installed in high-rise buildings, including automatic sprinkler protection, are designed to control fire so as to lessen  the need to evacuate all occupants to the street level. The occupants of the fire floor and floors immediately above and below it should immediately use the exit stairs to descend to a floor level that is at least a few floors below the fire floor. The occupants can then reenter the occupied space on those safe floors to await further instructions.

If exiting down stairs takes so long, am I better off going up to the roof and waiting to be rescued there?

NO! Many of us have seen dramatic video of helicopters picking up occupants from the roof of a burning building. This is extraordinary dangerous procedure for the occupants, the pilots and firefighters who may be in the building.

First, a helicopter may not come to rescue you, thus ascending to the roof instead of descending to grade may have wasted valuable time. This is not a standard procedure in the U.S., or in most foreign countries.

In severe fires, the large thermal currents, generated by the heat from the fire, can cause the helicopter to be buffeted up or down, making it hard to control. The resulting down thrust from the helicopter rotor can force smoke and super heated air on top of fire suppression personnel. Most building designs incorporate numerous features that direct occupants to the street or grade level for evacuation purposes.

Can I use the elevator?

NO! It is never appropriate to use the elevator during a fire or similar building emergency, even in a two-story building. When a fire occurs, elevators are designed to be recalled to designated floor, normally the lobby. In unusual circumstances, an elevator malfunction may cause the elevator to travel to the fire floor itself, thus exposing occupants to the fire. Elevator shafts may also allow some smoke to enter the shaft and migrate toward the roof of the building. Any occupants of the elevator would be exposed to that smoke.

What if the emergency is not a fire, how should I react?

As with any situation in our daily lives, YOU are ultimately in control of your fate to a great degree. Thus, you are largely responsible for your own personal safety based upon circumstances.  Detailed procedures, verbal instructions and even past experience may not be adequate to help you deal with extraordinary events.

RED, the universal color for danger can be used to help you in such circumstances.

React: Take any indication of smoke, fire or other potentially threatening situation seriously. Activation of building fire alarms, smell of smoke, visual indication of flames, warning from other occupants, arrival of the fire department are some attributes that may signal an imminently dangerous situation.

Evaluate: You must judge the level of threat. This includes confirming evidence or presence of smoke or fire; judging the conditions in your immediate area; self-judgment of your physical ability to relocate or evacuate; evaluation of the needs and abilities of others who may need assistance; consider additional information being received.

Decide: There are only two, but difficult choices:

1. Follow your plan and immediately leave the building. OR

2. Follow your plan and stay where you are, or descend to the designated level below the fire floor and be prepared to take protective/defensive action. In this case, anticipated action may include alerting the fire department (9-1-1)of your location, seal doors, windows and vents that lead into your space. Do not break out the windows. Be prepared to wait for a considerable time period (at least one hour) if you contemplate rescue by the fire department.

This process is iterative. It is not only done at the first hint of a dangerous situation, it is a process that the individual must manage and needs to be repeated until the danger has passed or, if total building evacuation is in order, when that action is completed.