Fire Alarm Evacuation Tips From NY Personal Injury Lawyers

You should be ready to move as soon as you hear the fire alarm echoing through the halls of a building or your workplace. Immediate response to the Fire Alarm System’s warning may be the only chance that you have to safely exit the building. Fires contribute to hundreds of deaths a year, but these important tips will increase your chances of a safe evacuation.

• Assume that every alarm is the real deal. Never ignore alarms because you think that it is only a test or a malfunction.
• Know the evacuation route when you enter a building. It is important that everyone in the building exits the building by locating the closest exit or stairway. Elevators should not be used during a fire emergency situation.
• When you have exited the building, make sure you are not standing near it. Go across the street or near an adjacent building.
• Make sure that you have not congregated near the front of the building. Fire trucks and emergency personnel will need the area directly in front of the building to access the scene and begin extinguishing and recovery efforts.
• The area beneath the building is dangerous if there is a fire on the higher floors that results in the windows being blown out. When the glass falls, it will land in the hazard zone. Stay away from this area.
• Do not re-enter the building once you have evacuated. Emergency responders will alert you to the status of efforts and inform you as to whether or not you can enter the building.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a building fire, contact personal injury lawyers in NY for a free evaluation of your case.