Saturday evening

[BillCarson436]

Hello...

Somebody needs to inforn Stop & Shop that when a Fire Alarm goes off
that somebody... a Manager.... a Deli Clerk... needs to respond....and
more than a few minutes later

I'm in there with my wife... the alarm goes off... a Deli clerk says...

" Isn't that the Fire Alarm..."

Another says "shouldn't we be leaving "

NOBODY is making their way to the exits...

Customers either continue to shop or look around for direction

A couple ask me what to do.... should they leave ?

I look to the exits... nobody leaving... I tell them to wait for an
announcement over the intercom...still watching the door just in
case I have to make a quick exit with my wife. There is an uneasy
air about the store right about now (in my area ) Not sure how this
is playing out in other areas.

Finally it comes...

WOULD ALL EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS PLEASE LEAVE THE STORE

Not the loudest of warnings...but audible

In my area... people leave in a calm & orderly fashion. Outstanding
resonse.

Outside people gather in the Parking lot... many are leaving.

A Fire Engine pulls up, response time only a few minutes... Outstanding

You can hear more coming towards the store...Outstanding


I do not know what the problem was BUT....

Stop & Shop needs to work on INFORMING their employees on how to
respond to their Alarm. Especially when the store is crowded.

Nobody...Worker or Manager was doing anything in response to the
sound of the alarm and the flashinglights. Some continued to work !

If it had been a serious fire... a nut with a gun ...or a bomb... there
should have been an IMIDIATE response by the employees.

There was way to much time.

At Cytec employees KNOW how to respond to alarms.... we know when
to evacuate...and where to assemble. I wonder if Stop & Shop's are
required to practice Fire Drills and Evacuations ? Their UNION ...so they
should ...shouldn't they ???

I suppose this is something for them to work on ?

Shaws... Sorry we cheated on you...lol

Hope YOU take notice.

[john12774]

Well, its sounds like you stood there and "listened" as probably did everyone else. You didn't "run" to the door either. Secondly, at Cytek or other corporations, they perform quarterly training for fire alrams and evacuations.

[BillCarson436]

Ahhhhhhhh...

finally...a reply !

Yes... I was aware of my proximity to the exit as I watched the people around me... had I been in further in the store I would have left without
being told.

and no...we don't do quarterly evacuation drills... but every employee, even outside contractors, are educated on plant evacuations.

and my POINT was that at Stop & Shop.. they must NOTdo fire drills.

[eds]

As a state certified Firefighter and a state certified Haz Mat Technician I would recommend in the future that when this happens, you immediately exit the building through the nearest fire exit. The front door is an option however, during an emergency these doors may fail to operate. The fire exits are where you exit during an emergency because they are usually placed away from fire lanes used for engines and ladder trucks which are automatically dispatched when the alarm sounds and would be arriving at the same you are exiting the building. You don't want to get in their way. The fire lanes are usually at the front of the store.

One of the times this may not apply is if there is some kind of chemical leak in the area in which you would hear instructions from the Fire Department outside on horns.

For example, certain gases in certain exposure limits would require people to remain indoors while others would require immediate evac of a certain radius around the incident. Anyone in the red zone or yellow zone would be required to evac.

In the case of a fire alarm it usually means there is smoke and a fire is most likely the cause. The other reason to leave is that near the deli or bakery or around anything else that uses cooking appliances, like the rotisserie's, the bakery ovens, etc, there is usually a halon system or other fire suppression system. Halon can deprive you of oxygen and cause you to loose consciousness or die if you inhale enough of it. You don't want to breathe that in. Halon is an older technology and it is, I believe, being phased out. But other technologies do the same thing.

Near the front door there will usually be an annunciator panel. It will tell you where the alarm is and the cause of the alarm. IF you are so inclined, or have training, you can read that panel and act accordingly. Though I do not recommend this as a course of action for the average citizen. In most cases, just exit the building using the fire exits which should be clearly marked and NEVER blocked.

[Jack357]

Hello...

I do not know what the problem was BUT....

Stop & Shop needs to work on INFORMING their employees on how to
respond to their Alarm. Especially when the store is crowded.

Nobody...Worker or Manager was doing anything in response to the
sound of the alarm and the flashinglights. Some continued to work !

If it had been a serious fire... a nut with a gun ...or a bomb... there
should have been an IMIDIATE response by the employees.



Now come on Bill this would mean that the Company would have to spend valuable money to properly train employees thus cutting into the bottom line. Now when you do this the money makers won't be able to go out and buy all of those fancy clothes for their kid's, the Ipods and Cell phones they hide under their hoodies and they wouldn't be able to take the time needed to fight the Board of Ed when they try to instill some disipline into the kid's.