PASADENA, Calif., May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- There are common yet
not-so-obvious mistakes people make in a high rise emergency, such as a
fire, an earthquake or an act of terrorism, according to Building Safety
Solutions (BSS), a provider of emergency preparedness and life safety
products.
Today, the company highlighted these mistakes along with tips about
what to do -- and what not to do -- in a high rise apartment or office
building emergency.
Mistake #1 -- Disregarding alarms.
"Surprisingly, many people in a high rise emergency remain where they
are, even when alarms are ringing," said Hector Gomez, president and CEO of
BSS (http://www.BuildingSafetySolutions.com). "If an alarm is ringing --
even if you think it's a drill -- head for the nearest exit immediately."
Gomez says time is of the essence and even a one minute delay in
responding could mean the difference between life and death.
Mistake #2 -- Discounting training.
"Generally speaking, people don't understand the importance of life
safety training," said Gomez. "If you live or work in a high rise building,
by all means, make it a priority to participate in your building's life
safety training programs."
He suggests online training programs since they're easy to access and
participate in and they provide real-time building information with
real-life diagrams of your specific building.
"Training is crucial in learning about escape routes and critical
building systems (such as refuge areas and fire extinguishers), as well as
what to do and what not to do in an emergency."
Mistake #3 -- Going out through the in door.
Gomez says people make the mistake of exiting through the door in which
they entered a building even though it might not be the quickest or safest
escape route.
His advice? Familiarize yourself with exits the minute you enter a
building, familiarize yourself with the building's evacuation plan (usually
posted in lobbies) and, wherever your final destination inside, pay
attention to exit signs nearest you for the fastest egress possible. If
you're a tenant of a building, make it a priority to understand your
building's evacuation plan.
Mistake #4 -- Helping others, not yourself.
Gomez says people have an intrinsic willingness to help, but
oftentimes, this helpful spirit is the very reason people perish in high
rise disasters. "Floor wardens and emergency personnel are trained to
handle emergency situations," said Gomez. "As a building tenant, it's your
job to leave the building as quickly and as safely as possible."
Bottom line -- leave the building and let the experts do their job.
Mistake #5 -- Trivializing an evacuation.
Gomez advises taking a building evacuation seriously by keeping
conversation to a minimum, leaving food and drinks behind, and for women,
taking off high heels. "You'd be surprised the number of women who struggle
to navigate stairwells in high heels." He suggests women keep a pair of
flat shoes near their desks so they can slip them on in the event of an
emergency.
The final word? Exit the building calmly and quietly, leave unnecessary
items behind and remove inhibiting shoes when applicable.
About Building Safety Solutions
Building Safety Solutions, Inc. (BSS)
http://www.BuildingSafetySolutions.com is the nation's leading provider of
emergency preparedness and life safety products and services to private and
public markets throughout the United States, providing a combined 25 years
of life safety, building operations and professional management experience
to its clients. BSS is recognized by some of the industry's most respected
real estate, corporate, and government entities as an innovative,
quality-driven enterprise committed to providing world-class service to its
clients. BSS has revolutionized the emergency preparedness training
industry by integrating superior knowledge and expertise in life safety,
security, and building engineering systems with the latest technologies in
graphics, animation, simulation, and online content transmission,
encryption, and access controls. This approach has resulted in the
development of dynamic and interactive Web-based products that have been
deployed in buildings of various prominence, size, and use throughout the
nation. These innovative products afford BSS the ability to provide
value-added emergency response solutions to building owners, managers,
engineers, occupants, and first responders.
SOURCE Building Safety Solutions
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Related links:
http://www.buildingsafetysolutions.com
CONTACT:
Jennifer Lange, +1-949-916-4820,
jlange@getsplashmedia.com, for Building Safety Solutions
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