BY BILL GUSTIN
There is an age-old axiom in the fire service that more lives are saved by properly positioned hoselines than by all the ladders in a fire department. That is definitely true when it comes to fires in high-rise buildings because it is practically impossible for firefighters to rapidly control a fire and simultaneously rescue occupants. A protect/shelter-in-place strategy is the only option in high-rise buildings where a large number of the population are elderly and must use wheelchairs and walkers for mobility (photo 1).
Imagine the fear and anxiety that the physically impaired must feel when the fire alarm system broadcasts a recorded message over public-address speakers advising them that there is a fire in the building, they are to evacuate, and they are not to use the elevators. Consider also that in some buildings, occupants physically capable of taking stairs may not evacuate because they have grown indifferent to the fire alarm because they have experienced a large number of false alarms and minor cooking fires that activated the smoke detectors. Fire department public education programs aim to teach occupants of multifamily buildings what to do in a fire. Similarly, fire safety instructions and a floor plan are posted on the inside of hotel room doors.
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