High-Rise Survival: What You Need to Know
BUILDING SAFETY
Lance Luke
9/5/20262 min read
Living or working in a high-rise offers great views, but it also comes with unique responsibilities when it comes to fire safety. Unlike a single-story home, you can't just jump out a window (unless you're an action movie star, and even then, I wouldn't recommend it).
In a high-rise tower, the building is designed to protect you, but you have to know how to use those protections. Here is the "no-nonsense" guide to staying safe when things get heated.
Know Your Exit Strategy
Don't wait for the alarm to go off to figure out where the stairs are.
Count the Doors: In a smoke-filled hallway, visibility is zero. Know exactly how many doors are between your unit and the exit stairwell.
The Elevator is an Oven: Never use the elevator during a fire. It can fail, leaving you trapped, or worse, the sensors might take you directly to the floor where the fire is located.
Stairwell Etiquette: Once you enter the stairwell, stay to the right. This leaves room for firefighters to come up while you are going down.
The "Stay or Go" Dilemma
Most modern high-rises are built with "compartmentalization." This means the concrete and steel floors, walls and ceilings are designed to keep a fire contained to the room or floor where it started for a specific amount of time.
If the fire is in your unit: Get out immediately, close the door behind you to keep the fire contained, and pull the manual fire alarm pull station on your way to the stairs.
If the fire is elsewhere: Feel the door before opening it. If it’s hot, stay put. Seal the cracks around the door with wet towels and call 911 to tell them exactly where you are.
Smoke is the Real Enemy
Most fire-related injuries aren't from burns; they are from smoke inhalation.
Get Low: Heat and smoke rise. The cleanest air will be 12 to 24 inches off the floor. If you have to move through smoke, crawl.
Maintenance Matters: Ensure your unit's smoke detectors are tested monthly. If your building has a sprinkler system, never hang anything from the sprinkler heads—not even a lightweight holiday decoration.