I am looking for the original source for this information. IIRC, it was New York City, post 9/11. The items were a flashlight, whistle, bandana, and knife. I think it was discussed here, but search and Google site search did not find it. Any help is appreciated.

Maybe this thread started by Martin?

Those four are a cinch - so long as I have my purse. I always have at least two sets of flashlight-whistle-knife because those are on my house key neck lanyard as well as on my car key ring. There's always a bandanna in my purse.

My purse has gone to all meetings since the anthrax attacks which occurred a few weeks after 9/11.

I also have a firesteel-striker and tiny prybar on my car key ring.

for a rather inconspicuous package, a Leatherman juice s2 (or Vic Farmer),single cr123 Streamlight (110 lumen)light, metal whistle, and firesteel will fit in a generic multi tool pouch... bandana, and a couple of R95 or N95 masks (you could probably vacuum seal them into a pocketable size), and foldable water storage pouch (wallet)could easily round out the ensemble and not look out of place on the job

Knife is forbidden by Human Relations. (no matter how small - they seem to think somebody will hijack the building and take it to Cuba)

Got flashlights- one is on my neck lanyard. Have seen emergency lighting system fail to come on. Windowless building get REALLY dark then.

Recently my workdays have been spent in a large downtown office building. I have two flashlights, a locking folder (Ritter Minigrip) and a whistle on my person. Bandanna is in my laptop bag along with the rest of my commuter kit.

I don't keep a whistle on me, or a bandanna. But, I do have a pocket knife in my left front pocket and my keys in the right front pocket, and a flashlight is connected to the key ring.

Does a hanky count instead of a bandanna? I keep two of them in my left rear pants pocket.

I do have a whistle/compass/thermometer combo in the outer pouch of my lunch bag. I could get to it in the dark if I had to as it sits on my desk, as long as I was in my office when I needed it.

I couldn't do the bandana, but that's the easiest for me to improvise if I fail to bring one. It's correctly in the fourth position. Using that list, here's the order of priority for me:

1. Pocket knife
2. Flashlight
3. Whistle
4. Bandana

Is it wrong of me to ask about cell phone?

That message got brought home to me many years ago in a large (but old) downtown shopping mall. Built long before the modern passive skylight phase, when a storm knocked out power and their backup lighting failed. 12:30 in the afternoon, but you could not see your hand in front of your face inside that mall, but for my small keyring light.