THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

GreyQueen · 14 June 2017 at 7:13PM

Just had SuperGran over here for a chat, the talk of the day is the terrible events in London. For the hundreds of thousands of us who live in tower flats, plus all those in lower-rise blocks, this is a scary time.

daz, I have a recollection of coming across a reference somewhere in the preposphere to smoke escape hoods, worth googling perhaps?

Tomorrow, after w*rk, I shall source some lightweight footwear to keep in the BOB and also add another pkt of my life-saving meds to the emergency kit in the workplace locker.

Time to up one's game, I think.

[Deleted User] · 14 June 2017 at 7:30PM

Regarding tower blocks, I'm of the opinion they should be built in pairs, fairly close together, with enclosed walkways between them, say every 10 floors.

That way, if people are trapped above a fire, in one of the tower blocks, they can climb to the next level up with a walkway, and escape across it, to the other tower block.

Witless · 14 June 2017 at 8:32PM

GreyQueen wrote: »

daz, I have a recollection of coming across a reference somewhere in the preposphere to smoke escape hoods, worth googling perhaps?

They're available ... at a price! https://www.frontline-safety.co.uk/protect/escape/smoke-hoods I know you can't put a value on your life but I think you'd probably need a 'good' one as opposed to a 'cheapie' - they seem to range from £120 to over £300 (prices don't include VAT)

Would a wet towel not get you out? Assuming of course you simply want a straightforward 'exit' rather than a 'search & rescue'?

GreyQueen · 14 June 2017 at 8:37PM

I'm not sure if the pattern of a fire would enable it to leap from tower to tower, in such a situation?

I do think tower blocks are a flippin' stupid idea and that no more of them, residential or commercial office types, should be built. Why? Because we are commencing the downslope of peak oil, and the future will make electicity more expensive and the generation of it less reliable. They'll be white elephants and we might not even end up with the tech to dismantle them before they fall down.

Hell, I've heard the reasonable assessment that The Big One in downtown LA or a hurricane going thru downtown Houston would drop so much glass from towers that the streets would be buried 20 ft deep in shards. Nothing living would survive that.

With a tower, you need power to raise the water and to run the lifts. Mega buidlings are likely to be unaffordable to maintain and plenty of the council towers in the UK are 1960s and 1970s builds. You can tart 'em up but they were thrown up on the cheap.

Woman I know, a pensioner these days, typed the specs for some infamous towers built in the 1960s when she worked for one of the country's biggest builders. She said they were very cheaply built even at the time, and we've had 40-50 years of wear & tear on them since.

ETA; Witless, a wet towel or shirt would certainly help but it would still allow smoke through. Smoke inhalation is what kills most victims in a fire, not actually being burned, flinch-worthy though that image be, today of all days.

Also, as well as coughing, smoke would be causing your eyes to tear up, so the likely scenario would be struggling to breathe and coughing fit to burst, probably doubling over a lot, eyes streaming tears and also vision obscured by smoke. Add to this the adrenalin and cortisol rush of terror and you have a potent mix, especially as a burning building will contain a lot of toxic smoke. Horrible, horrible thing to think about.:(

maryb · 14 June 2017 at 8:58PM

Tower blocks are not even that efficient in terms of land use as they have to have so much clear space around them. Medium density conventional housing is much more user friendly and carefully planned the density is not too bad

I seem to recall that a lot of councils are getting rid of high level walkways because it makes it very difficult for the police to catch anyone they are in pursuit of

GreyQueen · 14 June 2017 at 9:11PM

We don't have high level walkways but we do have a labyrinthine layout which means that when Police chase anyone into our area, they tend to lose them as there are so many ways for the target to run. I've heard this from officers themselves.

We also see newbie officers, youngsters or just newly deployed to our area, being brought down here and shown the many which ways someone can run. I was amused to earwig on one pairing of old hand and newbie as the old hand told him: this place is a f*****g rabbit warren, mate.:rotfl:

Yup. And us bunnies have big ears. SG was over here a few hours ago and I shut my window which was open a crack before we got talking. The Police have been known to stand against the walls outside of groundfloor flats and listen in to dodgy characters conversing about criminal matters.

The only good thing about being in a dodgy neighbourhood is that you live your life here in code yellow, in terms of alertness, and are not complacent about life. SG in particular is as sharp as a bucket of razor blades and only pretends to be a little old lady.:D

Witless · 14 June 2017 at 9:31PM

i think the biggie is 'get out, stay out' - better to get needlessly cold & wet than the alternative.

One of those interviewed this morning hadn't waited to even put on shoes (quite correctly IMHO).

Another essential is to rehearse / revise your escape plan - you literally have to be able to complete it with your eyes closed. (or without your glasses if you wear them)

Neighbours at the Witless hovel have, no doubt, been astounded at the ungainly exit of a 60ish muppet from an upstairs window onto the carport roof.

It's not aesthetically pleasing but I keep slip on shoes (moccasins, crocs etc) on the window cill above the carport, on the landing, and front & back doors with the intention of 'grab and go' rather 'putting on' IYSWIM.

I think quick reaction, even with poor prep, is far better than slow & cautious irrespective of the forethought.

My 'backup' flash drives aren't even a consideration - they're in friends/relatives houses.

Hopefully I never have to find out.

daz378 · 14 June 2017 at 11:00PM

think grenfell tower epitomizes the callous disregard TPTB have for poor towerblock/estate citizens.... they tried to get lawyers to complain of the health and safety issues....but of course most legal aid has been withdrawn.....think we have similiar cladding but another resident told me it had been rendered ....not quite as risky i think........thanks about the smokehood will look into it

Karmacat · 15 June 2017 at 9:00AM

GreyQueen wrote: »

ETA; Witless, a wet towel or shirt would certainly help but it would still allow smoke through. Smoke inhalation is what kills most victims in a fire, not actually being burned, flinch-worthy though that image be, today of all days.

Also, as well as coughing, smoke would be causing your eyes to tear up, so the likely scenario would be struggling to breathe and coughing fit to burst, probably doubling over a lot, eyes streaming tears and also vision obscured by smoke. Add to this the adrenalin and cortisol rush of terror and you have a potent mix, especially as a burning building will contain a lot of toxic smoke. Horrible, horrible thing to think about.:(

It really is horrible, isn't it

In the spirit of mitigating *one* of those elements ... what do people think about using cheap eye goggles, the type you get in a poundshop, for kids and adults to go swimming? Last year, they were £1 for two pairs in my poundshop. It doesn't address the breathing issue, I'm just trying to think what could we do, at our present level of income?

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thriftwizard · 15 June 2017 at 9:07AM

Karmacat, I think I'd be worried about them melting... though I suppose they'd be better than nothing, which is the point, rather.

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THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

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