I'm sure many have heard the news by now that there were more London bonbings. I work for a large global company who lost a couple employees to the last one so we had an evacuation drill a bit ago. Our Evacuation plans all say to meet in the parking lots so everyone did that then a few went under the garages (two level detached from the buildings) to escape the head. Well the security gaurds drove around and yelled at everyone to get out of the garages and stand on top of them in case the cars were to have a bomb in them. So of course one guy asks what good that would do since we would be standing right next to the cars on top of the garages which could have a bomb in them, or if a car explodes in the garage we would get hurt falling on top of it. Security gaurds didn't like that very much, but it goes to show how the people in charge haven't always thought of everything and don't always communicate what they want very well which is why you should make plans for yourself.
If it were a real emergency (i.e. I smelled smoke, heard a blast or thought my life were endangered in any way) I would have thrown a chair through the window and rapelled down the 4 floors via cat 5 cable <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Have a PSK with you at work?

With the way the terrorist have been operating as of late I don’t think I would like to stand in a big group waiting for the management to decide what to do! That seems like an awful convenient secondary target to me. More than once the terrorist have sent in a second attack to hit after the rescue personnel are on scene working or to hit the crowd of on lookers.

Cat 5 has 8 conductors. Does that make it better than 7-strand 550?

NYC is responding like this:

"New York Police to Search Bags
New York City will begin tomorrow morning randomly checking bags at subway stations, commuter railways and on buses, officials announced today"

From NY Times

I agree, but that wouldn't occur to your basic corporate type manager, they want everybody together in one big group, they can't get that "team concept idea" out of their minds -- so we will be a big, tempting terrorist target, inside or outside.

Just when I thought I had come up with every possible use for CAT5E

I assume the cat5 comment was a joke. Cat5 isn't very strong. I certainly wouldn't suggest this. If you consider you need to escape in that maner, I suggest you get a real escape kit.

-john

One should not stand near,planters,mailboxes,dumpsters etc.For a secondary device to kill, mame the arriving rescuers or the folks who evacuated the building is sop for terrorists.

I would stay clear all parked vehicals as well.

couple of points
1. Experts agree that going to a specific area that cannot be guarded from snipers/preset bombs is not good.
2. Company should not have evacuation plan broadcast i.e. on web, well out in open, etc. to help plan bombings.
3. Find out as much as you can about specific plans.