Americans for the Arts
It's an arts EMERGENCY - call 911!
Posted by Jun 21, 2008 2 comments
Americans for the Arts
This morning, one of the worst things that could happen at an Annual Convention happened.
The fire alarm went off ~ 8:15am and we all had to evacuate the building. Seriously.
I have the privilege of working with one of the most professional staff in the business, to say nothing of our meeting and events team who are running the behind the scenes business of this convention. We all kicked into high gear. Even several of our attendees.
I saw people helping people with limited mobility.
I saw everyone walking calmly outside, cup of coffee in hand, maintaining the flow of their conversations. It was as if nothing unusual was happening. Patience abounded.
Michael McCabe from Key West held the door open for everyone as the exited the building. And he stood there after the “All Clear” was announced and let everyone back in. (For the record, the alarm was triggered in an adjacent building and at 9:00am it was all over).
It was an emergency but we all handled it as a community and we took care of our own.
Comments
That alarm went on forever! I didn't realize there was a group outside. I called the operator and they said "No problem, just hang out until the fire department turns off the alarm." Glad I didn't have to jump outside of my window!
And I have to applaud the resourcefulness of people maximizing every minute of conference. One of the morning sessions took their easel with them and setup on the sidewalk and continued their discussion...now, that's commitment...