Emergency Building Evacuation And Drill

I had a meeting scheduled for 10.00 am, a few days ago, to discuss various issues on the Retirees Fraternity, of which I am the Protem Secretary, with the Human Resource Management Division (HRM) of my former employer. Attendees for this meeting were to be the Protem Chairman and another committee member (the three of us had been working on the constitution) and also representatives of the HRM.

I left home quite early, parked my car at the parking lot of the light rail station near my house and took the train into the city. (I prefer to take the train to the city rather than drive into the city traffic for obvious reasons). I arrived at the building half an hour early but found the main door connecting the public area, consisting of a major shopping mall and various other public facilities and amenities, and the office block closed. There were many others in office attire mingling around, obviously having appointments to keep with people in the office. A guard stationed at the gate advised us that we are not allowed to enter because of an emergency and the emergency may take about two hours. If it is an emergency why was this door closed? I wonder. It will take two hours to sort the emergency? I knew then that this was not a real emergency but a drill and that all 84 floors of the office are being evacuated.

I walked out of the mall and went around the building to the front of the office block and noticed all the office staff leisurely walking in a ‘procession’ manner towards an open area some distance away from the building. I also noticed a few staff wearing jackets that state they are the floor safety officers on the front and back and holding up placards indicating the floor numbers. The numbers I saw then was the 20’s and 30’s which meant that those of the upper floors are yet to come down. I also noted that it took quite some while for those in the higher levels to reach the ground level. I waited on the side and many of the staff who recognized me stopped for a quick chat before they proceed along, afterall they have to stay with their group by floors in the assembly area and I am sure some sort of a roll-call will be made to account for everyone in the group of each floor. Ambulances ferried a few people, some pregnant ladies, presumably to attend to them in another designated area with medical facilities. Fire engines and the police were at hand and there was also a bomb unit standing by.

Quite a few of those I met were grumbling and lamenting that they have meetings to attend and schedules to meet!! Huh! What meeting? What schedule? This was an emergency was it not? Lives have to be saved and the emergency attended to. What is more important than life? A very senior position staff was seen standing at the door and did not join the group at the allocated assembly area. I know him and met up with him for a while. He said that he was in the midst of a meeting and cannot wait to ‘get the job done’. What was he trying to prove? That his job was very important, that he was very important, that this emergency exercise was a waste of his time? He was not showing the right kind of leadership was he? Where was his commitment to safety? Where was his commitment to the well being of his staff? Lead by example, the Management Gurus say, what example was he leading then?.......

Watching the going-ons in this emergency exercise I noted a number of shortcomings and things that can be ‘done better’ or ‘improved’. Afterall when I was working with them I was directly involved in these sort of exercises. I had gone through the proper training and indeed was part of a team responsible in drawing up the emergency response plan set up for eventualities requiring evacuation of buildings. Would my proposal, if I make any now, be accepted, or would the powers that be be satisfied with only their way of doing things. I wonder…..

I could not get in touch with my fellow retirees as I had inadvertently left my cellular phone at home. I thought I would be able to meet up with them if I go to the regular food outlet in the mall that we frequent and true enough they were there. I joined them and quite a while later a few staff also joined us for refreshments. Tessa also walked by and complained of weak knees! She had to walk down from her office on the 78th floor, I think. That’s a long way down. Meanwhile we tried to contact the HRM staff we were supposed to have met but failed. We thought if they were available we could at least have an 'informal' discussion on the issues. We left messages in their voice box and sent sms but got no response. We had to wait a long time for this meeting date and it had now to be postponed ….. to a later date…. and we know that that new date will be quite a while later as our issues may appear to be of very low priority to them ..….. we retirees are ‘has been’, perhaps seen as a liability than asset? Or am I being overly critical……. hmmmmm grumpy old man…..

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Petaling Jaya