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Interviewer: Part of being prepared for disaster at work is what to do if there's a fire at work. We'll examine that next on The Scope.

Announcer: Medical News and research from University of Utah physicians and specialists you can use for a happier and healthier life. You're listening to The Scope.

Interviewer: Annette Matherly is the outreach and disaster coordinator for the Utah Burn Center. If you find yourself at work and there's a fire, what should you do? Well hopefully you've had some sort of training on that. But we're going to find out from Annette what you should do.

Annette: So, a lot of these concepts go back to elementary school, you know, get out fast. Don't stop and call a friend, don't stop and pick up your favorite plant. If there is a fire at work, take it seriously. And I know many of us are guilty about, "The fire alarm again, it's just another drill." But when we hear a fire alarm go off, we instantly should take flight. We should think about what our exit routes are, and we should already know them, because one of the things about life is that we should pre-plan for things that are bad, and if we get into that habit we'll never be disappointed, and we'll always be prepared. So we should know our exit routes out, and we should get out as quickly as possible.
Now if your exit routes are obstructed and you're unable to go downstairs, or you're unable to get out of your room, then one of the things that you need to do collectively, or if you're by yourself, find whatever you can to stuff under that door to make sure that no smoke comes into that room and obviously put the back of your hand against that door. See if it was hot before you opened it. If you close your door at work, feel the knob, make sure that there's no heat on that knob. And if there is, then you will not open your door, because that will cause a draft to come into the room and then you'll get all those hot gasses and that fire that will then come in. So you want to make sure that the gap underneath the door is completely filled with something so the smoke doesn't come in.
Then, if you have a window, then you want to go over and you want to signal for help at that window. Obviously, if you're first or perhaps second floor with a window with a ledge that you can jump down on, then you want to get out your window if possible. But you definitely don't want to jump. If you're too high and you could get injured, then one of the things that you want to do is just stay there, and breathe slowly and be really calm. There have been a lot of studies that have shown if your heart rate is up, then you don't have the ability to think clearly. So to be able to keep your heart rate as low as possible, to function adequately, to think clearly, and to know that there are some great fire fighters out there that would love to get you out of that building in a timely manner and keep you safe.

Interviewer: If I'm in some sort of office where they can't see me, what should I do? Should I be yelling in there? I mean, you told me to stay calm and yelling kind of goes counter to that, should I get out my cell phone? I mean, what do I do?

Annette: Absolutely, every time I ask for a 'hands up' in class, whenever I teach, about who does not have a cell phone, I think there's one person in about the last ten years. But obviously call. Now, calling is not going to be the first thing you do, you're going to try and get out, but if you cant get out, then to call 911 to tell people where you are. So knowing where you are in your building and being aware of your surroundings prior to the event is really important. There's no point in saying "Well I'm the fourth floor down on the right, in that weird T." So to know exactly where you're located would be super helpful for the fire fighters, and one day may save your life.

Interviewer: So, 911 will then take that information and they'll help coordinate behind the scenes and get that information to the firefighters. "We know for sure we have somebody in office 210 on the third floor"

Annette: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Interviewer: Very cool. If you're trapped in your office, is there any place in your office that's better than the others?

Annette: No, the only place that's really safe is underneath the smoke that will maybe come through that door, even if you've packed it. So, to be low to the ground, and to keep under that smoke, because that smoke contains toxins and that's what will kill you, and that's what kills many people. So to keep low, to crawl on the ground, and then to not breathe in any of that smoke. If you have something wet, if you put it over your nose, then, and breathe through that moisture, then that can help so some of those particles don't get into your airway. But, other than that, keeping obviously as far away from that smoke as possible, and keeping low to the ground is the only options that you might have.

Interviewer: All right. Have you ever seen the results of a burning office building, in the burn center?

Annette: You know, I have, unfortunately. And hotels are another one, and manufactured homes, and apartment complexes, and senior centers, and all of those things that break your heart, unfortunately.

Interviewer: What's getting them hurt? What's a common kind of thing that they're doing wrong, that people are doing wrong in these situations?

Annette: You know, sometimes I think we just have that 'deer in the headlights look. So that stop, and take in your surroundings and to grab your bag and think about what books you might want to take. That is not helpful; going back in to a burning building to get something that's been forgotten is something else that we see. Never ever go back into a burning building because you will get injured.
The other thing that we see is that people just aren't prepared. They have never done it before, and so the most important thing is to think about exiting any way you're at. If you're at a hotel, ask for a room on the lowest level close to a fire exit. Although, if we all ask for that, there's not going to be many rooms available for the rest of us. But to think about your surroundings, to be aware, to know that fire can start anywhere, and that fire is powerful, fast and dark, unlike the movies that show this bright exotic flame. Fire is dark, and we can't see, and so to know by feel how to get out of somewhere would be really important.

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