Evacuation of the World Trade Center
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Evacuation of the World Trade Center
When American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower (WTC1) of the World Trade Center, a standard announcement was given to tenants in the South Tower (WTC2) to stay put and that the building was secure. However, many defied those instructions and proceeded to evacuate the South Tower.[1]
At the 44th floor, a man with a megaphone was telling people there was no problem.
"Our building is secure. You can go back to your floor. If you're a little winded, you can get a drink of water or coffee in the cafeteria."[2]
Standard procedures
Standard evacuation procedures for fires in the World Trade Center called for evacuating only the floors immediately above and below the fire, as simultaneous evacuation of up to 50,000 workers would be chaotic.[1]
Modifications after the 1993 bombing
After the 1993 bombing, the Port Authority implemented a number of changes to improve safety and evacuation at the World Trade Center. They added photoluminescent paint and emergency lighting (with battery backup) to the stairwells. They also revitalized the fire warden program in the World Trade Center. In the shopping concourse, they eliminated a few of the stores so that they could add corridors to allow for better evacuation. As well, the Port Authority began replacing the fireproofing throughout the buildings, though by 9/11, it had only replaced fireproofing in 30 percent of the buildings (or 15% in each building).[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fritsch, Jane (September 12, 2001) "A Day of Terror - The Response: Rescue Workers Rush In, and Many Do Not Return", The New York Times.
- ↑ Moss, Michael, Charles V. Bagli (September 13, 2001) "After the Attacks: The Towers - Instinces to Flee Competed with Instructions to Remain", The New York Times
- ↑ Dwyer, Jim and Kevin Flynn (2005) 102 Minutes, Times Books, p. 9-10