Ninomiya House organized its own fire safety drill, which was very exciting. It was combined with tips on earthquake safety, as earthquakes are also a likely cause of fire. The whole two hours were packed with activities.
First all people had to evacuate the building using stairs and safety exits, wearing protective helmets. We had to gather at a rendezvous park close-by, at which point everyone was accounted for per floor. Next was a fire fighting drill with lo and behold actual fires. The extinguishers contained water though, but the spray cans for kitchen fires seemed the real deal. The fire department showed how everything should be worked, and volunteers were actively sought to replicate each of the demonstrated actions.
"Fire!" This is the most important thing to do before actual fire fighting. Call out to your neighbors and make sure they hear you, then head in with the right equipment. Useful information was also given. As I expected, if the ceiling is on fire, run. Smoke kills 90% of people in fires, so always cover your mouth and stay low.
We were also taught how to activate emergency power generators, in case the power would fail on the weekend, and few staff would be available to help. Firetruck ladders can reach up to 40 meters, so escaping to a balcony would not be a problem. The water from the hoses however, came only about 3 stories.
Afterwards at the lecture we unexpectedly got to taste some emergency supplies. Ninomiya House has food and water available for all residents for 5 days! Now we can start to eat our own supply.
