Table Top Disaster Exercise

[Dr Jekell]

Ok everyone. Here is the layout.

For the purposes of this exercise you work in a high rise office building (floor & office of your choice)

The scene:

You are working late to catch up on some work; there are 10 people still left on your floor including you everyone else has gone home.

At around 2030 hours you sit back after finishing off your last piece of paperwork & notice the time. Just as you realize that you have spent far longer than you planed you also realize that the mug of cold coffee you have on your glass desk is rattling its way across the desk.

As you watch the cups antics it leaps off your desk onto the floor, the glass window behind you cracks & shatters; you are being thrown around as the building sways wildly, parts of the ceiling collapses.

Then just as suddenly all of the shaking & movement stops, you hear screams coming from the area outside of your office, it is pitch black with the exception of the faint glow of an emergency light which hasn't been destroyed.

As you get up you realize that a major earthquake has just hit the area, you take stock of yourself & notice you have a few cuts & abrasions, which will need stitching but nothing major.

You then locate all of your EDC items & check them out & find that they are all functioning with the exception of your cell phone, which got crushed when the ceiling collapsed narrowly missing you in the process.

When you are finished checking your gear, you realize your priorities are:

• Get out of your office

• Locate your co-workers, Rescue them, assess & treat their injuries

• Be wary of aftershocks

You check the door to your office & notice that a ceiling beam has fallen & is partially blocking the door preventing it from opening, there is also a large hole in the ceiling and a wide crack in the wall next to the door (but not wide enough to get through.

You can see 8 of your co-workers through the crack, three are obviously dead (hit by debris) two are injured but are walking unaided, one is pinned by his arm under a beam, & the last one is sitting up against the remains of a wall looking pale & sweaty (once you look through the dust covering her you realize that she the new hire & you had been told that she had diabetes).

You look out of your newly air conditioned office towards the street & see that your building is one the few left standing, most have collapsed.

You continue your search & locate the following:

• A length of Cat 5 network cable (you just need a way to cut it)

• A small pipe with water flowing out of it

• Several sofa cushions in a tweed fabric

• Several sections of pipe in various lengths

• A few sections of wood

• Lots of glass in different sizes

• The drink bottle you forgot to take home yesterday (1/2 full)

• Part of that lunch you brought but didn't eat

• A few CD's

• On very battered tool box with only a Phillips & a flat head screw driver inside

From here you must complete all of your priorities. You can use all of your EDC (Please detail what you carry) plus what you can carry from the above (please detail what you are carrying & why, bonus points for being creative).

For the purposes of this exercise there is no fire/ems/police/etc response available due to their vehicles/buildings/personnel sustaining major damage.

If attention warrants it I will post another segment.

 

[paulr]

Huh? If there is a way out of the building that's unobstructed enough to make it out, and my co-workers can all make it out, then get everyone out and don't worry about the cat5 cable or whatever. If someone is injured, then go out without them and seek help from outside unless the building is in imminent danger of collapse or fire (in which case, improvise with available materials to carry them out). If there's no way out, try to attract outside help by signalling through the window. Also, see if anyone else has a cell phone that works.

 

[Monocrom]

I live in NYC. Even homeless people have cellphones here! (Usually the ones they snatch from distracted New York yuppies).

Borrow a co-worker's phone, dial 911. No signal at all? (Not likely). But still plenty of working pay phones outside. And 911 calls don't even require putting change into them. I'd leave and get help.

 

[Zot]

Does this remine anyone of Zork?

 

[Kiessling]

Back then ... cool roleplaying experiences ... .... yepp, definitely sounds like it. And you'll be screwed if you forgot to take the network cable with you to bribe the dragon at the exit ...

Seriously though ... I'd sit there and wait for help. With my EDC lit up.

bernie

 

[Mash]

If it is a major disaster as you say, I wonder how helpful calling the emergency services will be.
Firstly chances of getting through, given the probable collapse of phone netwrok infrastructure, secondly getting through the call queues even if you have a signal, thirdly even if you got through the small chances of a unit being available to come to your help.
I would be of the mindset that I would need to do something myself, helping and with the help of those around me.

 

[LumenHound]

Sounds like a screenwriter's premise from an old MacGyver TV episode script.

 

[Dr Jekell]

This was just something I thought up to get you thinking about how you would use your EDC & to think outside the box.

Will also edit OP to make it a bit clearer as to whats happening.

Ringing 911 is all well & good but seeing as the area has been hit by a massive earthquake there is a high probability that several things have happened:

• The roads are blocked with debrie
• There are hundreds of people who are hurt or trapped (And most probably calling 911 too)
• The 911 call center has been damaged & is off line
• All wired & wireless phone lines are down due to the quake

You may state that you would get out of your office & assist your co-workers but HOW would you do so.

Think about it

 

[Kiessling]

Out of the box: I'd call them so they will get me out there. I am the one needing assistance, probably more than them. I can light the way once they get me outta there.

Seriously though ... my EDC tools won't get me anywhere, and neither am I McGuyver or athletic, so I guess I am the one without a name in Star Trek, the one that goes down.

bernie

 

[DM51]

Taste the water from the pipe. If bad, spit it out, if good, fill up bottle, drink as much as you can, then fill up bottle again. Tear up cushion material. Keep some for emergency dressings, use some to hold glass fragment to saw/cut through cable; coil cable round waist to carry as cord for future use. More to drink, fill bottle again, finish remains of lunch even if not hungry. Put full water bottle, screwdrivers and other potentially useful items in pockets in clothing. Use wood and pipe pieces, furniture etc to get up through hole in ceiling. Take length of largest-size pipe or strongest piece of wood with you, to break through any partitions you may come across. Along service duct / ceiling space until clear of blocked door, then down into next room/corridor. Locate co-workers; treat injuries as necessary. Find safe way down stairs. Use cable/cord/other improvised materials as required to assist descent to street.

 

[smvtsailor]

First, power on my P2D Q5 and I would check to make sure that the floor is still stable near the door by hitting it with a chair (hey, its worth a shot). If it is, remove the hinges from the door with the screwdriver or leatherman multitool. Next, slide the door over to the side. I would go back to my desk, and grad my extra CR123a batteries that I always keep around. I would grab the drink bottle and empty it. Then rinse and fill it with the water from the pipe. I would then leave the room with:
-Water Bottle
-P2D
-Leatherman

Next I would provide illumination for the next room, and instruct the co-workers who are able to walk to quickly search the floor for the unaccounted for victims. I would go back to my office and get the half eaten lunch and give it to the diabetic before she goes into hypoglycemia.
I would take the CAT5 cable and the tween cushions to the man pinned under the debris. I would cut open the cushions and remove some of the stuffing. I would recall the co-workers who can still walk and have them help me lift the debris off the other co-worker while I pull him out and immediately stuff the cushion filling into any bleeding cuts in his arm and wrap the CAT5 cable around that to prevent bleeding.
After doing that, I would run back to the leaking pipe and rinse/refill the water bottle. Once the diabetic co-worker is able to function properly, I would ask her to help me carry the man who was pinned down while one of the injured who can still walk hold my P2D to light the staircase. When we made it to the ground level, I would lead everyone to a nearby collapsed building in the shade. There, they can recover, and not be directly under the still standing but frail building. I would search the nearby debris for survivors. If there were any, I would remove the debris from on top of them, and using the remaining cushion filling, stop bleeding from any major wounds. After that, I would help out my co-workers rinse their wounds with the water from the pipe.
After a few minutes, we would move away from the still standing buildings in case they decided to collapse.

 

[Mash]

Taste the water from the pipe. If bad, spit it out, if good, fill up bottle, drink as much as you can, then fill up bottle again. Tear up cushion material. Keep some for emergency dressings, use some to hold glass fragment to saw/cut through cable; coil cable round waist to carry as cord for future use. More to drink, fill bottle again, finish remains of lunch even if not hungry. Put full water bottle, screwdrivers and other potentially useful items in pockets in clothing. Use wood and pipe pieces, furniture etc to get up through hole in ceiling. Take length of largest-size pipe or strongest piece of wood with you, to break through any partitions you may come across. Along service duct / ceiling space until clear of blocked door, then down into next room/corridor. Locate co-workers; treat injuries as necessary. Find safe way down stairs. Use cable/cord/other improvised materials as required to assist descent to street.

Excellent.
I would only add the following:
"silently and discreetly start observing fellow survivors, as to their potential viability as a food source, characteristics such as potential taste, health/age/texture of flesh, and available quantity"
:wave:

 

[PhantomPhoton]

Excellent.
I would only add the following:
"silently and discreetly start observing fellow survivors, as to their potential viability as a food source, characteristics such as potential taste, health/age/texture of flesh, and available quantity"
:wave:

I have a manpurse/ backpack that goes everywhere with me. So, in the highly fictional situation that I work in an office in a high rise, the manpurse would be at my feet under the desk.
Within I have a CPR mask, gloves, basic trauma & first aid kit, glucogon shot (my younger brother is diabetic), knife, multitool, flashlights and spare cells, iodine tablets, rain poncho, thermal blanket, bandana, mirror, whistle, compass, gloves, warm hat, sunglasses, mini prybar, magnesium firestarter, 50 feet of paracord, a couple caribiners, 2 rolls of athletic tape, 1 half roll of duct tape, a few zip ties, hand sanitizer, eyedrops, a couple multivitamins, & aspirin, waterbottle, a couple foil packs of powdered gatorade, and a powerbar or two that I rotate out every few weeks. Marker, pens, papaer.

Now onto procedures...
Bring out the lights.
Visual self check for injuries. During adrenaline you can get cut up and not feel it.
If I am injured, pop out the first aid kit and treat the injury myself if possible. If not do what I can to stabliize myself, get comfortable and attempt to summon assistance. If the building has an intercom see if it is still operational (not likely), use whistle in blasts of 3, flashlights, HELP sign on the remanats of the window pointed outside.
If I am fine to move myself about, attempt to get out of the office I'm in. Moving slowly survey the scene, I see door is blocked, and see 8 other people, 5 of which are survivors. 1 pinned, 2 injured but able to walk, one diabetic... aren't we missing one? ... 3+1+2+1 is 7. So I guess one's in perfect health.
Start getting the healthy one to tell me what else is out there that I can't see.
Open communications with the diabetic via the healthy survivor if necessary. Find out if she's type 1 or type 2. Blood test, as a diabetic will likely have a testing kit with them... this part will get long for typing... but eventually we'll find she's 1) okay, 2) needs insulin, 3) needs sugar, or 4) in the worst case needs a glucogon shot. If she's a type 1 she'll probably have a glucogon with her. If not I have one. Pass it thru the hole. I also have gatorade as a source of sugar. Possibly treat her for shock.
Have the two others treat their minor injuries themselves, pass my first aid supplies thru the hole of there is no easily accessible office first aid kit. If they can treat each other they're probably good to go and we won't have to worry about shock with them.
Assess the trapped man. Hopefully me and the healthy person plus the 2 others in good condition can safely get him unpinned. Depending upon the size, length, strength of the pipe and wood available leverage may be able to get him free to treat his injuries. If we can not get him free, we need to keep him stable. Treat any injuries that we can keep him warm and comfortable as possible. Pillows and duct tape make great splints.
Assuming our healthy person is willing and able, have that one try and locate our 9th person, as well as see if the stairwell is accessible.
Work on getting myself out. Pop the hinges on the door if possible and remove door.
Most walls aren't too hard to go thru. See if theres a good spot to bust thru the wall. If not drag over the desk and stand up on it any any other stable structure like a chair and see if it's possible to go over the wall via the ceiling. (I'm a gymnast going up and over stuff isn't much of a problem as long as it will hold me.)
If I'm only a couple stories up, I can use paracord, clothing, cables, wires, etc to get myself out the window and down to the ground. If I'm up high, I may have to hunker down if I can't find a way thru or over the wall. Depending upon the construction of the building I may be able to go outside my window and get in the window of another office.
Assuming I am able to get out of my office I help with finding that last co worker; sweep the whole floor.
Try to move down the stairwell. and down to the ground floor.
If we can't safely get out of the building we collect all the food and water that we can and find the safest, most comfortable place we can to sit and wait. Most large office buildings will have vending machines which can supply days of food. Water coming from pipes can be collected in any containers we can find. Water if we suspect it is contaminated can be pre filtered thru clean fabric and sterilized with iodine tablets. Bleach for water purification may be found in a janitorial closet as can other useful supplies. Kitchen areas, may have other containers for collecting all the water possible as it could be days before rescue happens.
To facilitate rescue mark window as stated earlier. And in/ near the stairwell note how many of us there are, where we are and what our condition is. Try and find a working cell phone or even better satellite phone. Finding a basic battery or dynamo radio will hopefully allow us news so we can get an idea of how long we might need to stay. If we're lucky we may find a radio transmitter in the form of a secruity guard radio, FRS/GMRS radio etc.
We may also determine that our building is unsafe. Depending upon observed internal damage it could be unstable enough that it will collapse with an aftershock.
If the stairwell(s) is (are) absolutely inaccessable, from the current floor and we're so high up that gathering cable and wire to create a way down with something like a rope ladder, than we may try to bust thru a window on a lower floor and try to get to the stairs form that floor. Look for or make a broken window. Heavy pipe or computer monitor plus wore/ rope secured and tossed out the window should swing down pretty hard.
Alternatively we may be able to get down an elevator shaft easier. Prusik knots may allow descent on the elevator cables. Going down one floor at a time via a ladder may be possible as well. Hopefully we'll eventually get to a safe stairwell and get out.

That's off the top of my head. Really there are so many possibilities it would take a very long time to write out all the likely possibilities and how the branch out and the flow charts of how to overcome and resolve the problems.

 

[chanamasala]

They say don't panic. Use your smarts.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I don't live in earthquake country and don't work in a highrise.

I carry a fairly large folder, 4 lights at the current time and that's pretty much it from that angle.

I probably SHOULD carry some form of emergency bag in my truck however...