Volume 9
Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan ( Image Credit : Concept-
Draw )
I ’ m not a firefighter and consequently have not attended any formal firefighter training , but I doubt if anywhere in their training , it says to tell people to stay in the building until the firetruck shows up to save them .
We don ’ t do that for fire but we do that for active shooter incidents . Huh ?
A Different Design Is Needed
We ’ ve come up with legislation that implements fire safety codes , which include labeling exits , training personnel in escape procedures , signage and so on . There hasn ’ t been a fire related death in a school since 1957 .
That tells me all the codes , training and practice fire drills have paid off .
Couldn ’ t and shouldn ’ t the same hold true for active shooter situations or other types of terrorist attacks , for example , vehicle or backpack bombings ? We could easily design buildings and rooms within so that there are always at least two evacuation routes .
Champions Edition
should have at least , two exits . Preferably opposite each other to afford people the opportunity to get away .
In the RUN-HIDE-FIGHT approach we address what the victim should do . Police departments have addressed what they should do but we haven ’ t address what the “ environment ” should do .
Legislators have addressed how the environment should react to certain threats , like fire and earthquakes but not for active shooters or other forms of terrorism .
Creativity versus Safety and Security
A few months ago , I was meeting with a very dear friend and she told me that as the Chief Security Officer for a very large multi-national company , the thing that kept her up at night was the fact that since interior designers have been creating office spaces that promote the free flow of ideas and creativity , there were no more walls to hide behind and because of that the company ’ s employees were basically “ sitting ducks ” during an active shooter event .
This would allow people to escape the shooter , instead of hiding in the bathroom and waiting to be murdered or , at best , to fight to overwhelm the attacker . Essentially , we ’ ve told and trained folks to be sitting ducks .
That I know of , no one involved during the initial phase of an active shooter incident has been shot in the back while trying to escape . I may be wrong here but I ’ ve not heard of anyone . But I have heard of people being killed while they waited for the police to neutralize the threat .
I believe the notion that people should hunkerdown until the cavalry arrives is ludicrous .
Instead we should be teaching people to RUN- RUN-RUN . But in order to do that , we have to design buildings so that people can RUN no matter what . Which means every internal space
Office spaces that promote the free flow of ideas and creativity , leave little options to take shelter in an active shooter or other type of emergency situation
I guess there ’ s a trade-off between inventiveness and protection . I don ’ t think there has to be . I think we can do both .
As just one example , I believe we can com- 112