A fire can happen at any point in time and in any building, so it is important that you have a plan in place for when a fire emergency occurs. In high-rise buildings, fires can be particularly dangerous and fire safety codes are often strictly enforced for that reason. Because of this, fire suppression and protection systems are often greatly used in high-rise buildings, along with sprinkler systems, communications systems, and other fire safety features. Here is what you need to know about preparing for a fire emergency in a high-rise building:
Always Remain CALM.
It is imperative that you remain calm when there is a fire in your building. However, calm is much more than an attitude, as it is also an acronym that represents a few actions that you need to take in this particular situation:
- C: Call 911 to report the fire. To do this, get yourself to a safe section of the floor/building after reviewing the emergency fire plan.
- A: Alert tenants, employees, or other individuals on the floor of the current situation.
- L: Listen for any information that authorities or fire officials are relaying to those in the building. This information, such as whether to stay where you are or to evacuate, may come to you through a communications system that has been installed.
- M: Move to safety when you have been told to do by fire officials.
Tips to Follow When You Evacuate
- Never use the elevator to evacuate the building unless you have been instructed to do so by the authorities. Instead, you should evacuate the building by using the stairs.
- When exiting the building, remain as low to the ground as you can. Here, the air is cleaner and cooler because fire and smoke rises.
- Avoid heading up to the building's roof. Fire, smoke and heat rises extremely fast, so you will be putting yourself is grave danger.
Tips to Follow When You Stay in Place
- If possible, find wet towels, shirts, etc. to wet and stuff around vents and doors to keep the smoke out.
- Avoid breaking out in any windows, as the sudden burst of air could cause the fire to ignite.
- You may slightly open a window so that you can wave a piece of bright cloth to show fire officials where you are. However, if the fire and/or smoke gets worse, close the window and figure out a way to leave your cloth hanging outside.
If you are an owner of a high-rise building, it is crucial that you take the steps necessary to keep your tenants safe and secure. One way to do this is to purchase a fire suppression and protection system, such as from Universal Fire Equipment .
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