Sky Tower Evacuation
Supervisors asked me if I wanted to take part in the annual evacuation test with the San Diego Fire Department. One of the elements is lowering, in this case volunteer victims' to the ground. A late decision to limit the number of victims, perhaps to open the Sky Tower earlier to guests, excluded the photographers, to their chagrin, from rapelling,or in actuality being lowered to the ground by the firemen.
In order for the firemen to gain access to the capsule they had to climb a ladder inside the tube to the very top lugging all the equipment with them that is necessary to accomplish the evacuation. It is a heavy load. From the top the firemen rappel down to the capsule, again, with all their gear and enter the capsule through a roof hatch. Now they prepare all the equipment, fasten the pulleys and safety gear to designated secure places, while others put victims into a harness that securely holds them for a safe descent on ropes.
The volunteers had consented to be victims and subject themselves to what is to most a very intimidating exit from a place where your feet touch the floor of the capsule to dangling from great height on a rope.
The briefing by firemen to exit from the upper level includes rapelling, like walking down backwards for the distance to the bottom of the lower level capsule. From there you are just being securely lowered in your harness. As I said, chagrined that I had to spend more than four hours in the capsule without the opportunity to take pictures during the descent left me with taking these pictures.
In the relatively tight space, the firemen needed to be near the doors and I had to shoot from angles that were accessible to me without obstructing anyone or anything.
Shooting without a flash against the bright outdoors made some editing necessary.
Needless to say, everthing, other than excluding the photographers, went as planned and all returned to terra firma. |
Date(s): 6/11/15. Album by Heinz Steiner. Photos by Heinz Steiner. 1 - 66 of 66 Total. |
|
