Have anyone of you read the article, "An Innovative Approach To High-Rise Evacuation" By RAY A. SMITH Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal on 26 August 2002, mentioning the needs of new concepts of evacuation methods after the 911 incidents.
Or have have you read a recent article, "New Way Out Ideas" by Joseph Zicherman, Ph.D. in the November/December 2003 edition of NFPA Journal, addressing the same issue concerning evacuation, evacuation products, etc.
We all aware that the cost of having a evacuation lift and a fire-fighting lift is very costly and yet it is a untrialled method for fire egress. So what options do we have apart from relying on lifts alone for transporting those people who have difficulty or no ability of walking down stairs?
Could the non traditional means of building evacuation using the unconventional systems, such as broader use of lifts, escape chutes, or other escape devices become acceptable tools, available to building designers, regulators to overcome this evacuation issues? Have any research group done a comprehensive Risk Assessment on the use of evac-lifts and evac-chute to minimize the time taken for occupants to egress building during emergencies?
Technology is available or being developed to support a multitude of
potential solutions and should be open for discussion. However, there should be a human need and willingness to promote solutions. Solutions can be implemented to various degrees on many buildings, new or old, regardless of age, type or size.
