Posted By Ron Young
Excellent recommendations but the cynic in me wonders how many senior managers would think themselves above the role of fire warden!

Posted By Cr8r
Why is the assumption so often made that the senior manager is the best person to do this? I will never forget the day (many moons ago before I had grey hair), my manager had been given the role and training to be the fire marshall in our area.

The fire alarm sounded (it was a drill but he didn't know this). Instead of calmly collecting the clip board with names on, donning his hi viz, and ensuring we had all left the building safely and he had escorted us to the assembly point, what actually happened was: On hearing the alarm, he ran full pelt down the open plan office, launched into the air 6 feet before the fire door, kicked the bar open with his foot and disappeared down the fire escape. He then ran in the wrong direction. He kept running. Through the car park and out into a corn field, after which point he went out of sight. As for the rest of us, two of us assumed control and did what he should have done.

When he eventually turned up (very red faced) he apologised profusely, explaining he had panicked. None of us blamed him - we knew he was that sort of person - and besides, it had endless mileage as a recurring office jibe! What we all blamed was the decision by the upper management to give all senior managers the role, irrespect of whatever personal qualities they did or did not have.

Lessons were learnt at that establishment, but at most companies I have worked at, the PA is a much calmer and more reliable person than the manager and would perhaps be a better choice! Seriously, as with all tasks, personal qualities should be considered before just allocating duties willy nilly.

Posted By Mark Talbot
· fitting air filters to emergency vehicles so they do not stall in choking clouds created by collapsing buildings
The amount of dust created during those building collapses would have choked filters too, I fear. But I agree it should be looked at.

· developing lifts that operate during fires
They already exist. Waiting for one is a bad idea though if the whole building is doing the same.

· making sure senior managers can act as fire marshals
I agree with others that this is a role that needs a strong personality rather than a senior position.

· warning staff not to use phones until safe
I have missed the point, mobiles can be used whilst walking down the stairs. But it is good sense to get on with the task of evacuating first.

· constructing wide staircases out of concrete at widely dispersed points.
This is sensible, but sadly difficult to apply to a building already in use. It should become part of our building regs, if it isn't already.