Human behaviour is not an exact science. We all behave differently when faced with situations that are life threatening. However from studies of tragedies around the world human behaviour can be grouped into 3 categories: % remain calm and act quickly in a situation, 2.15% totally freak out and can hinder an evacuation. 3.70%, the vast majority of people, do very little as they are stunned and bewildered.

In November 1987 a fire erupted on an escalator in London's Kings Cross underground station…….31 people killed and badly injuring many more….The Kings Cross tragedy, then, provides a graphic example of human behavior in a public setting…..

….The busiest on the underground network with a week day average of 250,000 people. This underground has 5 levels. Also known as the Tube.

The Escalator from the Piccadilly line looking up to the ticket hall. 30 deg incline at 17.5 mtrs and was installed in 1939.

Around 7.30pm a member of the public reported a fire under the old wooden escalator leading up to the ticket hall. Two members of the public pressed the emergency stop button. Two British Transport police left a control room to discover the fire they called the Fire service at 7.34pm.

The fire service arrived at mins after the fire was first seen. At 7.45 a roar was heard by people around the ticket office. Flashover had occurred.

Now lets explore the chain of events that day.

Ticket Hall Fire

At 7.30 a member of the public approached a ticket collector and told him there was a fire on one of the escalators. The What did the ticket collector reply with?

“You are the third person to tell me that, perhaps I should go and take a look”.

At approximately the same time two British transport police saw a member of the public hit the emergency stop button.

Their immediate reaction was to respond and investigate the Police actually called the fire brigade and started directing people away from the bank of escalators. The time is 7.34 pm (4 mins had passed from the 3 rd cue )

Why did the police take 4 mins to call the fire service? How long would it take YOU?

The Fire service arrived at 7.43, 9 mins later (but 13 mins after the ticket collector had been informed of a problem. Flashover occurred at 7.45 that was 2 mins after the fire service arrived on the scene

Sept 11 th 2001 The Twin Towers.

The Rick Rescorla story. He was head of security for Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley occupied 22 floors of tower 2. They employed 2,700. The Largest tenant in the WTC.

Rick used to run regular trial evacuations for the whole company. Although high performance bankers didn’t like it because it pulled people away from their phones costing them money.

On that morning Rick heard an explosion and saw tower 1 burning. He quickly grabbed his bullhorn, Radio and mobile phone and systematically ordered Morgan Stanley employees out into the exits.

They knew what to do even 250 visitors in a training session had already been shown the exits.

As Rick directed the people down the stairwell on the 44 th floor the second plane hit 38 floors above his head. The building moved violently. He ordered people to be still and stop, they did, one witness says “it was as if he had cast a spell”

When the tower collapsed only 13 Morgan Stanley staff and security officers were missing. The other 2,687 were safe.

The Manuel Chea story. He did everything right. As soon as the building stopped swaying he jumped out from his cubicle and headed down the closest exit. It was an automatic reaction. He was the fastest to leave. As he was leaving he noticed colleagues collecting things. An hour later he was outside.

Lets re visit these stories. 1.London underground.

London Underground Problems. Lack of Training. No Procedures. No Communication.

2.Rick Recorla.

Rick Rescorla. He learned many tricks of survival in the Army He had earned a Silver Star, Bronze Star and a Purple heart.

Sadly Rick did not survive he was last seen heading up from the 10 th floor. His remains have never been found.

3. Manual Chea.

Manual Chea. He was asked why he moved so quick he had several theory's. The previous year he was caught in a house fire, a few years previous to that he was caught up in an earthquake and as a boy lived in Peru where he encountered earthquakes. Its nothing like the real thing to prepare you for an emergency.