Walking the Mall

Every Monday night is Drill Night at Station 6. Members of the company are expected if they are available to come to the station for training and other functions. Tonight was my first night as a member of the company and I got my first opportunity to participate in a drill. After the usual announcements, all officer, firefighters, and fire police went on a very unique tour of a local mall. One of the keys to success in emergency services is knowing the place where you are responding to. A large mall presents challenges since it is a large enclosed area with many corridors and passageways, as well as a large and varied infrastructure - electrical, gas, water and security - to support a variety of stores and restaurants, their employees, and shoppers. One of the line officers conducted the tour, pointing out fire control rooms, fire exits, and entry points. It is amazing how quickly you can get disoriented in white walled corridors that all look alike. By having the entire company actually see where important facilities are located, it will help all of us do our job safely in case we have to do it less optimal conditions. It also gives the company the opportunity to note problems that must be corrected by the mall's management. Fortunately, the mall we toured is well maintained. We now have the added advantage of knowing where things are and procedures to be taken in case we need to respond to a fire or rescue situation.