The joint fire- and disaster-prevention management council organized by all Palaceside Building tenants held its autumn comprehensive fire drill on November 22. It is a regular event in the spring and autumn National Fire Prevention Campaigns (this time November 9–15), but rain spoiled the day: rooftop hose training with indoor hydrants was canceled, and we managed extinguisher practice aimed outward from the rooftop doorway =photo above. Tokyo Fire Department again sent a VR disaster-prevention experience vehicle, and we simulated a fire with images and shaking.
Training began at 2:30 p.m. with an in-building broadcast (Japanese and English) announcing "an earthquake of intensity upper 6 has occurred." Each tenant carried out first actions: taking cover under desks, checking fire sources when shaking stopped, emergency inspection and grasping damage. Then, after an evacuation-advisory broadcast that "a fire broke out on the eighth floor and spread," people in helmets from each tenant used emergency stairs and the like to evacuate to the first floor =photos right, above.
After that, some fire- and disaster-prevention managers from each tenant gathered on the top floor of the east elevator tower and, on a reduced scale and limited menu, took on challenges. Under Kojimachi Fire Station guidance they also sweated through resuscitation practice with a real AED =photos right, below (it was not quite warm enough to actually sweat...).
In parallel with the top-floor training, the VR vehicle appeared in front of the west entrance, and people who had signed up in advance experienced it eight at a time =photo below.
The vehicle is about the size of a fire engine. Once seated you put on a goggle-like head-mounted display and get a vivid virtual disaster through 3D images, seat shake and air jets at your feet. Smoke starts in the room; you go to the kitchen and find the tempura pan on fire; you grab an extinguisher in a panic but do not hold the nozzle, so the agent only sprays around and runs out; you throw water and the flames leap from the ceiling through the whole room =photo at the end; wrapped in smoke you crawl to the entrance and are safe — that is the story. It lasted about three minutes, as I recall. Watching people, they ducked and turned aside =photos below, left or threw up a hand =photos below, right. Evidence that it is quite real.
This drill drew 310 people from 96 tenant and building companies and groups. Thank you all for your hard work.
