Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Topic Options
#20364 - 10/20/03 02:33 PM Chicago High Rise Fire
billvann Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 05/10/01
Posts: 780
Loc: NE Illinois, USA (42:19:08N 08...
I had expected to log in this morning and find a busy thread about Friday’s fire in a downtown high rise. (See the Chicago Tribune website for several stories) Since none exists, I’ll start the thread.

Quick summary. Fire started and contained to the twelve floor of a 35 floor office building built in 1964 ( Brunswick Building ). The building does not have a sprinkler system as it was built prior to the city law requiring them (1975 I believe). The fire was contained to the 12 floor and no one died as a result of the fire. However, 6 people died in the stairwell from smoke inhalation. Shortly after the fire started, the building security announced over the emergency speakers for the 12 floor to evacuate. Later, but not immediately, they then announced the whole building to evacuate. The stairwells began to fill with a thick black smoke. Some people decided that they could go no further and chose to work there way back up (I don’t believe the new the nature or extent of the fire/emergency). Some had to go all the way to the 27 floor to find a door that someone had left wedged open. The other doors all were locked automatically as most building do for security reasons. (The Daley Center across the street from the Brunswick building has doors lock that automatically remain open during an emergency.) Several people met firefighters around the 14 floor and were allegedly told to go back up and try the other stairwell as this one was impassable at that point. Many of these people never made it as they were overcome by the smoke and passed out on the stairwell. They were not discovered until about 1 ½ hours after the fire was contained during the fire department’s foot-by-foot search. The Chicago Fire Department’s press statements seem to have created a contradiction. They stated that the folks would have better off staying on their floor instead of evacuating in the stairwells. However, the building’s emergency procedure is to evacuate.

There are a number of questions that need to be answered and addressed. Elected officials are always ready to beat the drums following a tragedy and this is no exception. Especially since the building housed county government offices and many of the dead are from their own ranks.

However, the event also highlights a few thoughts from me on EDC, USK and PSKs.

1. I don’t think I’ll ever feel self conscience about carrying my EDK stuff with me.

2. Don’t be lulled into a sense of security just because your building has an evacuation plan and does frequent fire drills. The Brunswick building conducts 4 drills a year, one with the fire department’s involvement. The events of a true emergency may not play out as they do during a drill. For example, being told to go back and try another stairwell.

3. Information from the security PA system is generated from building personnel who may or may not know what’s really happening or what the correct course of action should be. I’m not suggesting anarchy. What I am suggesting is that it’s your own responsibility to decide what you should do. Our most important survival tool is our brain… use it.

BTW, the thick black smoke from the fire filled the stairwell from ventilation vents on many floors, not just the 12 floor. I wonder if the wedge in the door on the 27 floor caused the stairwell to act as a chimney, drawing the smoke in from the vents.
_________________________
Willie Vannerson
McHenry, IL

Top
#20365 - 10/20/03 03:11 PM Re: Chicago High Rise Fire
AyersTG Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/10/01
Posts: 1272
Loc: Upper Mississippi River Valley...
Yeah, I was surprised that it hadn't been brought up, too.

I'm not going to second guess the building construction - there are many "fatal" flaws in buildings that age and older. And keep in mind that the "custodian" of county buildings is normally the Sherrif's Department - not exactly subject-matter experts.

The smoke spread? Smoke dampers were not required in the duct work when that building was built. Nowadays, the HVAC system has to shut down completely if there is any smoke detected in the duct and/or if the fire detection system alarms AND smoke dampers close for exactly that reason (and possibly fire dampers as well, depending on specifics). Etc. etc. etc. Point is, unless the building you work in was built very recently, do not take ANYTHING for granted about the safety of the building. This was not a major fire, but 6 are dead so far.

The county building next door to me doesn't even have a building fire alarm system. I cannot force them to do anything about that unless they undertake major remodeling (fact - not a statement either way from me about is that good or bad). Last month they catastropically blew up their chimney (we're talking rain of bricks, emergency demolition of the stack, etc.) via an operator error. Lucky no one was injured...

So... unless you know professionally everything about the building in which you work, plan and be prepared for building evacuation. And try out alternative routes some non-workday.

My 2 cents.

Top
#20366 - 10/20/03 05:41 PM Re: Chicago High Rise Fire
Anonymous
Unregistered


evac-u8 hoods and spare-air might have helped these individuals and could easily be stored in their desks. If getting such into the building is a problem then mail it to yourself at work it will be dutifully delivered with the morning mail.

Top



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, cliff, Hikin_Jim 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
0 registered (), 456 Guests and 71 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
What did you do today to prepare?
by dougwalkabout
03/27/24 11:21 PM
Zippo Butane Inserts
by dougwalkabout
03/27/24 11:11 PM
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.