Posted on 10/06/2005 1:05:36 PM PDT by cloud8
I think a rope/cable and a harness with a traction pulley on it would be sufficient. Perhaps they can build them into the stairwells?
I think a rope/cable and a harness with a traction pulley on it would be sufficient. Perhaps they can build them into the stairwells?
I had an idea that parachute opening [and usage] was best done in the open, as far away from the building walls as possible. I must have been wrong.
At least somebody's thinking creatively about how to get people out of high rise fires. It stands to reason that if you have no choice but to jump, having a parachute on will increase your chance of survival above zero percent.
Dang! I hate it when it double posts me...
Also, what about putting a big reservoir of water up on the top of the building so that they can get water DOWN in the event of a fire. It would have to be designed to tolerate earthquakes and winds, but should be doable.
Anyone who gets a chute for this purpose better get one set up for base jumping and be trained in how to use it.
Calling all base jumpers.
13th floor doesn't strike me as quite high enough,
even for a manual chute deployment by a trained
and non-panicked jumper.
Then there's the problems of rising winds in the
case of fire, landing in moving traffic, etc.
But if I worked in a tall tombstone, I'd want one ...
... assuming I had a way to open the window or
reliably smash a big enough hole in the glass.
My building doesn't have a 13th floor. According to the elevator here, I am on the 14th floor. Should I invest in a chute?
Decisions decisions.
And what if you work in a short building neighboring a tower? Find a job elsewhere or play close attention when they have problems?
Also have to beware of a jumper landing on top of your chute.
Hmm... I can't help but think of 100 or so people from different floors jumping at the same time. Chutes don't do much good when they're tangled with somebody elses.
I just calculated this about a week ago and I've also checked with several others. The agreement seems to be that 25 stories is about the minimum.
> a rope/cable and a harness with a traction pulley on it would be sufficient...
That might do it. My first thought was a fire house pole and a good pair of gloves :) But a thousand people evacuating a building by parachute? Yikes!
All high rise buildings will now be required to conduct base jumping clases.
Airborne - the only way to get to work in the morning.
13 is a bad # to jump from anyway.
There was discussion along this line shortly after 9-11. In fact ABC's GMA show had a representative from a parachute company whose firm was promoting a specialized parachute designed for people who worked, or lived, in high rises. GMA also had a NYC fire official on at the same time to give his thoughts on the idea. He appeared to be against the idea, citing dangerous wind currents between buildings etc., the GMA interviewer (a women) agreed with the fire official. The parachute company exec should have been able to slam dunk the objections by simply stating ... if you're in a high rise faced with the same situation as the WTC victims caught on the highest floors on 9-11 ... and you had a parachute ... what would you do? He wasn't quick enough ... and let a great opportunity slip away. You can rest assured if I worked in a high rise like the Sears Tower in Chicago I'd have a parachute in the closet, or under my desk.
They made a movie illustrating this.
Towering Inferno
I think.
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