in case you have never looked in your exterior phone service box (telephone network interface) there is probably a socket that you can plug your POTS cord into...mine is under a cover... can by accessed by a screwdriver...that gives you direct access to the outside line...you need a touch tone phone

Thanks guys! Great calls on POTS and lighting.

I always wear a micro photon around my neck, and I've got an LED light, much like a micro photon, built into my watch. (Yeah Coleman!) There's a micro photon on my EDC keyring too, and I have a Peztl e+ headlamp in my purse. I'm a big fan of having a handy light or two, especially as a mom with a kiddo who's a little afraid of the dark and a baby. Diaper changes in the dark suck.

More recent PBX and IP Telephony systems have eliminated the need for POTS lines and emulate one for each fax machine. However, these systems are supposed to be installed with redundant power.

The most important thing is mindset. Take responsibility for your own safety and be ready to handle the possible threats.

Next in importance is situational awareness. Walk around the unsafe holes in the ceiling. Move the boxes blocking the fire exit. Know where the exits are and how to get to them. Know what sounds are normal and who belongs where, if that's possible in your workplace.

After situational awareness comes planning. This can be simple: if the fire alarm goes off, I will move directly to the nearest exit and then to the fire assembly area. If I see a fire and it's small enough to fight it with a fire extinguisher, I will get the fire extinguisher that I noticed because I was paying attention and rock out my Pull Aim Squeeze Sweep. If the fire extinguisher doesn't get the job done I will drop it and run away screaming like a little girl.

Last and least comes gear. That's not a scold directed at anyone in this thread, as far as I can tell BPJ and all the contributors have mindset, situational awareness and planning nailed.

Having been through a wide variety of unpleasant experiences in office buildings, here are the things that I keep on my person:

• Cell phone
• If I drove, car keys
• Flashlight
• Locking folder
• Wallet (including a useful amount of cash)
• A keyring multitool and backup flashlight
• Pistol and spare magazine (where legal to carry)

Cell phone is obvious -- all I do differently is never let it get beyond arm's reach. Car keys can be very helpful if the fire alarm goes off and it's 10 below, or I need something from my car kit. The flashlight has saved my bacon too many times in basements, datacenters, construction sites, bathrooms with malfunctioning motion sensor lights and underground labyrinths of gigantic hospital complexes for me to consider not carrying it. The spare one on my keychain once allowed me to leave my oldest daughter in the designated tornado shelter without her having a panic attack while I went to collect the rest of my recombinant DNA. As we've mentioned previously cash is a great problem solver. While the keychain multi isn't much, there have been times it's been just enough better than nothing to solve small problems quickly.

Don't forget that many cell phones now have a small built in flashlight or the lighted screen can also provide a very limited lightsource depending on the make and model of cell phone that one uses.

I would suggested a head-lamp; leaves your hands free for whatever you may need them for. I have a leatherman squirt on my key chain and find that I use it almost daily. I didn't catch what floor of the building you are on or if you are far from an exit but I would consider a smoke hood as well as eye and ear protection.

What Chaosmagnet said. And remeber; do not hesitate to use a emergency exit. A LOT of people will try to get out, they way they got in.

I have a signal booster in my car for that sort of situation. It can't turn nothing into something, but it extends my range a little bit. It sounds like you should be OK. Cell towers sometimes go down in really bad weather (loss of power, I'm guessing). So maybe you want to plan for that.

I've never had an emergency at work -- except the medical kind, and thankfully it wasn't me. We get bad storms sometimes, but that's often predictable. My biggest threat is car-related problems during the commute, followed by storms/tornadoes, medical emergencies, and violent crimes (robbers, mass shooters).

Unless its a single house converted into an office the fax lines usually come from an ATA (Analog Terminal Adapter off the main phone system which means they will go down with it.

The phone system should be cable of running from a UPS, would be a good time to get one or check the batteries in the current one.

I posted a while back the story of my wife working on floor 20something of a law firm who quietly evacuated all the lawyers before finally letting the staff leave on 9/11/2001 which re-enforces rule # 1.