For your information, the Office of Operations will conduct a series of consecutive fire drills in all four of the Headquarters complex buildings within the next several weeks.
You should be aware that staff from the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) will be present to observe the South Building evacuation drill
to collect data on the movement of people on the stairways and through doorways.
They plan to use a combination of video cameras and staff to collect data throughout
the building.
NIST will study one stairwell as the D.C. Fire Department travels up the stairs
while occupants are traveling down, and a second stairwell with occupants traveling
downward without fire department personnel impeding the flow. The Office of
Emergency Programs is coordinating with the D.C. Fire Department to provide
firefighter support to the South Building drill, so please do not be alarmed
if you see uniformed firefighters. We believe that this study is an important
step in ensuring the safety of building occupants throughout the country and
are proud that we can be a part of it.
We will be using the fire alarms and the Computer Emergency Notification System (CENS) to initiate the drill. As part of the drill, we will also test the Public Address (PA) System by notifying USDA personnel in buildings not currently affected by the drill. As in previous drills, you can provide valuable assistance by helping us identify emergency communications problems and other problem areas as well. If your computer does not receive a Computer Emergency Notification System (CENS) message, please contact your agency’s network system administrator. All other problems or suggestions may be addressed to preparedness@usda.gov .
We know that this drill will disrupt normal activities for a short time, but also know you agree that these drills are a vital part of ensuring employee, contractor, and visitor safety. Thank you.