Towering Inferno

There it goes, another fire drill exercise. It was announced a couple of days ago but hearing that siren was enough to disrupt your thoughts as I was preparing something.

There is something very annoying when you hear it, make your way towards your assigned position and follow people. I could see the impatience in the faces of the people, the annoyance that they would need to trudge down stairs and make their way in the hot morning sun and stand there while the fire drill plays out.

I see the boredom in the faces of the security guards who have to go along with this and play their role of keeping everyone moving and hear the complaints of each person that why did they need to do this. They can only smile and say sorry.

Some managers I see board the elevator and use their "authority" to not go through what they perceive as a ridiculous exercise and time waster. I see them enter a Star Bucks and have some coffee and most likely charged to the company.

I tend to the people, first checking on the pregnant employees, those who are sick and those of more mature age. I tell people to go to the shade, ask some to buy water and keep themselves hydrated after that ordeal of going down the stairs.

I do my part with all the dignity I can muster. I had to appear to be calm and run down the checklist. Such is the effect of living through a towering inferno.

From Unsplash - Ricardo Gomez Angel

It was like any day before it. I was making my rounds around the operations when it happened. The loud din of the sirens started and most people assumed that it was another fire drill and HR forgot to send out a memo about it.

I called one of my team to call admin and check this. I smiled and tried to make light of the mood and tell some of the people think of it as an extra break they can get. Yet I know that going down 40 floors will not be seen as something enjoyable.

I remind the team leaders to make sure that each person in their team is accounted for and to start filing out. Some of them don't make a move to get up as they stayed glued to their screen most likely trying to finish a last minute report.

My teammate calls me and tells me she couldn't reach administration. Most likely some of the other companies were doing the same thing and calling them to have the sirens turned off. It was annoying to everyone.

That was when we saw black smoke rising a few floors below us. That was when it hit us that it was real. I looked at one of my friends and saw the panic in his face. There was a sudden change in the energy in the room. I could see people panicking and started to scramble out of their seats and towards the door. If I let this happen mass panic will ensue and someone might get injured.

In one of those few moments that I needed to use my serious voice, I told the team leaders to get their teams in order. I saw some of the other more levelheaded one's had already started to organize and was helping the other teams who were like headless chickens. I nodded some thanks their way.

I started barking orders and telling my 2nd in command what to do with the other floors. I was staying in the 41st and make sure that the evacuation proceeded. I needed to calm down and remember all those things in the Safety Seminars that I tried to get myself to attend and listen to one bored fire marshall after another.

You often blank out in these situations and it was no different as I could not recall anything. Then one of my teammates called and said that some people were trapped in the elevator. They got in before admin cut the power and now they were stuck.

Man, this day is just getting more worse! They would receive just a tongue lashing with me but first we needed to save them. I called some of the more burly men and asked them to follow me. I saw that there was a security officer there trying his best to pry open the elevator doors. He was making his rounds when he heard the cries in the elevator and was doing his best to open it.

I asked him if he radioed downstairs already and said he forgot because the only thing he was thinking was the people in the elevator. I told him to report it and he stepped aside. With some effort the doors were opened and I saw some managers go out with some of their lackeys. I left them and told them to use the stairs.

There were a steady stream of people going down and I was going up! I needed to check each room and make sure no one was left behind. Satisfied that no one else was in the rooms I proceeded to go down.

Going down those steps wearing leather shoes was no fun. Yet it was better than some of women that I saw that were wearing heels. Some were already barefooted as they made their way down.

I saw most of our people standing in our designated area with my team all huddled together. Some complained that they forgot to get their phones, their bag or a sandwich they were supposed to eat. After their instinct of self-preservation kicks in you tend to forget these things at the moment but remember them once you are safe.

I told my team to ask the team leaders to do their headcount and make sure everyone is accounted for. I already see some of the managers make their way to Starbucks and undoubtedly getting coffees and charging it to the company.

I see more firemen still coming as various firetrucks arrive and enter the building with hoses and axes. I was informed by one of the security officers that the fire started on the 30th floor.

I looked up to see black smoke and a flicker of flames from one of the windows and thank God that we all got out safe without anyone getting injured, well except for a few cramps from the ladies who refused to go barefoot.

All in all I was proud how some people behaved and just have to roll my eyes with some. It seared to me the importance of these safety seminars and how to remain calm when all you wanted was to bolt down and save yourself.