BUILDING SYSTEMS FIRE ESCAPE

Monica RodriguezIND 5615 | Fall 2011

Fire Escape

Question 1

What is the name and the location of the building? •- Holiday Inn hotel and it is located in 137th Ave in front of the Tamiami Airport.

Question 2

What floor were you on?•- I was on the third floor

Question 3

•Where was the fire located? (give yourself an obstacle so escape is a bit more challenging)•-The fire was blocking the fire exit that was closest to me (shown in the picture).

Question 4

•How did you know where the exit was located? What signage or visual cues existed to assist you?•-The configuration of the floor plan is linear so it was very easy to spot the red exit sign (show on picture) at either end of the hallway. The fire was on my right side, where the closest exit was. Even though the other exit was on the other extreme, I could still see the red exit sign.

Question 5

•How long did it take you to exit the building?•-It took me 50 seconds to exit the building. (I exited the building towards my left, the right side which was where the exit closet to me was located, was “on fire”•-I timed myself a second time, this time I utilized the exit closest to me (to my right) and it took me 36 seconds.

Question 6

•Where did you end up?•- The fire exit lead me to the parking lot in front of the hotel.

Question 7

•Could you get back into the building the same way you exited once you were out? If not, what did you do and where did you go?•-I had someone with me, so they were able to let me back in, otherwise I would have not been able to get back into the building due to a self locking door. The door only opens if you are a guest and have a guest key card. The only other option to get back into the building would be through the main entrance, however they close it at night and only those with guest key cards can enter.

Question 8

•If you used a fire stair, what system components were in there? (use photographs to document this)•- In the fire stairs, I noticed signs and a fire alarm (top picture). There were signs indicating the floor level that you were on and they also read “down to first floor for exit discharge”•I also noticed fire lights, and I was told that they have a sound alarm as well (bottom picture)

Question 9

•Were there sprinklers along your route that may have helped to slow down the fire? If so, where were they located?•- There are sprinklers evenly spaced along the long hallway of the hotel. They are situated in the higher part of the wall.

Question 10

•Was there a fire extinguisher available during your route? If so, where was it located? Would you know how to access it and use it? Explain.•-There was a fire extinguisher at either side of the hallway next to the exit. (top picture) I don’t think I would have been able to use them. One of the extinguishers is located by the exit that was close to me which was being blocked by the “fire” so it wasn’t accessible to me. The other one was on the far end of the hallway next to were I exited the building so it would have been easier to just run out of the building, depending on the fire spread. If the fire was still far, I would have attempted to use it. There was also a fire extinguisher outside the fire stairs on the first floor. That one seems pointless to use in this case since it means that I would have to find a way back in and up the stairs.

Question 11

•What if the electricity in the building was out, how would you have been able to see where you were going?•-Inside the hallway I only noticed the flashing lights (top picture). I thought that those were only to signal that there was a fire, I think that there should be another emergency light source because the other ones only flash and it might be confusing.•Inside the fire stairs I spotted the lights shown in the bottom picture which I think are appropriate.

Question 12

•How would this experience have been different if you were in a wheelchair? Would you have taken a different route?•-The hallways and each floor seem appropriately designed for wheelchair users. However, in order to be able to exit the building through the stairs, wheelchair users would probably have to wait inside the fire stairs or get help to exit. Fire stairs are to be designed appropriately so that they prevent fires from going in.

Question 13

•What if you were blind? How would you know how to exit?•- If I were blind, honestly I wouldn’t know where the exit was exactly. Fire alarms would alert me incase of a fire. Also, the layout of the plan is helpful since its linear. If I were a guest, and also blind, I would familiarize myself with the space when I first arrive so I know how to navigate around.

Question 14

•What if you were deaf? How would you know there was a fire?•-If I were deaf, I would rely on the fire lights which brightly flash on and off in case of a fire. I found them on the hallways and in the fire stairs. I assume that they are in the guest rooms as well.