tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30702648.post8804720877986806506..comments2009-04-13T06:21:38.402-07:00Steve Hudgikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326996888775670753noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30702648.post-41979998606145676312009-04-12T20:29:00.000-07:002009-04-12T20:29:00.000-07:00What the heck?! "Outrageous" my left foot! <BR/><BR/>Timothy Pettinelli - You are not a shrink! You are not a diplomat! You are <I>a fire chief!</I> Your job is to protect people's <B>lives</B>, not their oh-so-precious feelings! Read those dimwits the riot act for endangering schoolchildren with their sloppy attitude towards basic fire safety! In front of a full-court press release, if that's what it takes to get them moving!<BR/><BR/>In case of a fire, goal #1 for "civilians" (myself included) is to <I>get out of the area as fast as physically possible.</I> A blocked fire exit can mean people choke on fumes or ash, or get flame-broiled alive while trying to escape through an obstruction that shouldn't have been there.<BR/><BR/>Try to imagine what it could be like in a real emergency at that school:<BR/><BR/>Imagine you're an average student. Studying, talking, doing whatever. Totally average day - usual thoughts and worries, planning for tomorrow. Just everyday stuff.<BR/><BR/>Then the fire alarms go off.<BR/><BR/>There's the first few seconds of "EEK! Fire?! Where!". You're caught off-guard, everyone is. People quickly start stampeding for the exits.<BR/><BR/>You run like hell on wheels to the nearest fire exit. Basic survival instincts are kicking in, trying to keep you from becoming BBQ'ed. One thought only - RUN!<BR/><BR/>As you get close to the exit, you see something that makes your heart pump ice water...the door is chained shut. A hefty padlock stands between you and safety. And the key is nowhere to be found.<BR/><BR/>Other people start piling up behind you, yelling at you to open the door. Some of them see the chain too. More panic. You start fumbling with the lock, try to pick it with something, wiggle the chain links. <BR/><BR/>It's no good. So you try to go back the way you came for another exit. Frantically you start fighting 'upstream' against the press of bodies. But you see smoke curling up by the ceiling and the glow of flames not far away. Trying for another way out seems your only chance, but can you find one in time?<BR/><BR/>Everyone's shouting, crying, shoving. A few minutes more and the smoke will start getting to you if the fire itself doesn't. Who put that chain there? Why? Why? Somebody help.......<BR/><BR/>...<BR/><BR/>Take this stuff seriously folks. Because it IS serious.Dark-Starnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30702648.post-48313476732620692432007-11-12T07:07:00.000-08:002007-11-12T07:07:00.000-08:00Blocked fire exits are never something to be ignored. For a school to not be meeting fire codes is unacceptable. They should be exceeding code requirements. The inspector's comments are completely justified.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com