There are many ways of calling for an alert but in a way of
not letting people to panic.
Yesterday I have experienced in one of the gulf countries, a
fire alert in a mall.
I went to a mall it was night and Eid Al-Adha(Muslim's
celebration). I was with my cousins, and my cousin's daughter. I was happy looked at the games and chose what
I wanted, but first I said that I wanted to go to the toilet before starting to
play, as it was night a traffic and first time to see this place mall, as this
is my second time to go to this country, but the first time didn't roam around
like this time. any how, when I was in the toilet waiting for the queue,
suddenly I see women are shouting and rushing to the door to get out. It was a
scary moment, m sister, cousin and me rushed out too, as we were outside I saw
a citizen and a security man outside, telling us to evacuate immediately. Then
while we were out I had to hold my cousin's hand firmly as I was scared in case
we disappear from each other, in a small corridor, not knowing anything and everyone
rushing out in a panic and my sister was behind us.
While we were exiting I heard people saying that there is a
fire. So I imagined a big fire which is not easy to control. My cousin started
shouting telling people to slow down, as as we were behind, because we didn't
see anything, only people rushing fast. We stopped because we saw that the
situation was a bit calm, but still panic is available. We called my other
cousin as she didn't come with us because her daughter was asleep, and she was
roaming around with her husband. Once we reached her we found out that she was
outside, as we were going to her, I saw kids are outside, crying in panic,
terrified not knowing where their parents or relatives or anyone they know
where they are.
Once we reached to my cousin, she asked us if we heard the announcement,
we nodded as in we didn't hear the announcement, two men a citizen an a
security came in to inform us to evacuate.
So we starting to put the things in the car, to go, I saw
that my cousin and her husband are trying to help kids to see anyone they know.
While we were going out, we saw two fire trucks coming towards the entrance of
the game zone, an ambulance standby as there was a circus beside the mall, and
another one picking a patient as we were towards the main street. When we
reached home, I started searching for the cause of the evacuation, and found
out, that apparently one of the games had a small fire. But the way of the announcement
my cousin said it was high voice, it made people panic in a way which it wasn't
need, they announced "PLEASE EVACUATE THE BUILDING IMMEDIATELY", but they
could have said "Please slowly and immediately evacuate the building."
If the announcer said in this way it could have let people
evacuate not in a panic, and quietly, and if anyone is sitting behind they tell
them not to sit behind as it is dangerous until the situation is calmed down.
This would have been better. Plus that a year ago, a mall beside it had a
nursery and it got burned, kids passed away inside it as there was only one way
to go out. They should have thought at how to announce to show that if the
situation is very harm or no, as the past is still affected by other people,
maybe these people they are the same who lost their children at the mall beside
them.
