4 ms·

I am probably an exception on HN. I live in a London tower block, on the 19th floor. The block I am in was subject to a BBC documentary a decade ago for being

by buro9 9y ago

I am probably an exception on HN. I live in a London tower block, on the 19th floor. The block I am in was subject to a BBC documentary a decade ago for being a high fire risk building. The containment measures originally designed into the building have long been compromised by short-term upgrades to kitchens and bathrooms. The service riser is now a chimney that freely joins every flat in a vertical quarter of the building into a single contiguous fire channel. We have no sprinklers, we have a single fire escape, but there is no fire alarm. The theory is that containment will hold and so it is best that people stay put. That the emergency services will need to come up the fire escape, and this is why Grenfell residents stayed put. But even were people to orderly try and use it, there is no means to raise the alarm. Internal fire doors do not create a seal. Internal doors in the flats have been removed over time and not replaced by the landlord (the council). Central heating was removed and replaced with a communal oil burner for a radiator system. The central heating ducts remain, joining flats vertically, joining rooms of flats, filled with dust and not sealed off. Simply put, I live in a death trap. I am more fortunate than my neighbours. Despite having been homeless when I was younger, I now have a salary that allows me to save for a deposit and to find another place to live. But London rents being what they are I cannot move now and still save for a deposit... if I did I would be consigning myself to never own the property in which I live. So I must stay, and deal with the fire risk, manage it as best I can, whilst I save for a deposit. If anyone ever wants to know why startups should have a market to permit existing shareholders to buy shares from employees holding options... this is it. Life gets in the way. I'm sitting on share options that could provide a transformational effect on my life, that could let me sleep at night and live in much lower stress levels. It's hard to give 100% to work when any night could be the night I am burned alive. I sleep fitfully, restlessly. I am so desperate for a way out... but it takes time, I only have a salary and the IPO is too long away (even if gets announced tomorrow). Fire risks are real, the terrible neglect of housing is real, and it doesn't help everyone but if you're a founder and you want to know how to help someone... provide liquidity to your employees.

tiplus 9y ago
I had similar fears in my last appartment building (12th floor) after a deadly fire in the neighbouring tower. I ended up buying a long rope at a climbing outlet and some used climbing gear. There are also more expensive fire proof rope ladders but the rope worked for me.
- buro9 9y ago
  I have checked eBay for WW2 sirens. They're cheap, and I proposed installing one outside as an alarm. This was quickly rejected by the councillor who informed me that sirens are used for the flood alarms (we're 200m from the Thames). Instead I've resorted to DIY fire safety. MDF fire panels installed as best as possible around the riser, as that is the most likely source of fire. It will buy me a little time, and I will not be relying on containment to save us... I'll be going down the fire escape regardless of instructions.
  - Spooky23 9y ago
    Good for you. I've been through a few incidents where my building should have been evacuated but wasn't due to incompetence or disinterest. In one case, several of my employees who were unable to negotiate stairs (due to injuries) were accidentally left trapped and unevacuated in an elevator lobby during a minor fire. They picked up the emergency phone and the response from the police was literally "WTF do you think I can do about it?" The response from my employers fire safety people when we complained was threatening to write a discipline referal for me because I didn't send people to fire training. (Three of the folks working for me were firemen who were delivering the training!) Don't assume that anyone has their shit together. Understand how to evacuate from your home and office and bug out when shit happens. Don't be like those poor people in WTC who followed instructions.
nfriedly 9y ago
> London rents being what they are I cannot move now and still save for a deposit... if I did I would be consigning myself to never own the property in which I live. What about moving to someplace less expensive than London?
- buro9 9y ago
  It's a consideration. But work is in London and choices for work are in London, and housing within reach of London isn't an order of magnitude cheaper than the fringes (zone 3-6) of London already.
  - nfriedly 9y ago
    That's fair - if you want to stick with your current employer, then your options are somewhat limited. But you can still talk to them and explain your situation and goals, and expressed that you would like either higher pay or a relocation to a less expensive city. You could put it in terms of "this would help me sleep better and thus be a more productive employee." You're probably also have in-demand skills - so if your current employer is not willing to work with you, you could conceivably get a similar or larger salary and relocate to a less expensive city at the same time with a new employer. I have a list of several hundred recruiters who have emailed me over the years, send me an email (in my profile) if you'd like a copy.
jacquesm 9y ago
Are you saving towards a downpayment?
- buro9 9y ago
  Of course. At the current rate, 14 more months. Were I to move today and pay market rate rent, 65 months. The single event that would make a difference would be a windfall of some kind, most probable within 14 months would be secondary market liquidity for the options I have vested already. Unlike most, we do not have inheritance nor bank of mum and dad as possibilities at all. We have to do it the slow hard way.
  - jacquesm 9y ago
    I've sent you some mail.

by buro9 9y ago

tiplus 9y ago

I had similar fears in my last appartment building (12th floor) after a deadly fire in the neighbouring tower. I ended up buying a long rope at a climbing outlet and some used climbing gear. There are also more expensive fire proof rope ladders but the rope worked for me.

buro9 9y ago
I have checked eBay for WW2 sirens. They're cheap, and I proposed installing one outside as an alarm. This was quickly rejected by the councillor who informed me that sirens are used for the flood alarms (we're 200m from the Thames). Instead I've resorted to DIY fire safety. MDF fire panels installed as best as possible around the riser, as that is the most likely source of fire. It will buy me a little time, and I will not be relying on containment to save us... I'll be going down the fire escape regardless of instructions.
- Spooky23 9y ago
  Good for you. I've been through a few incidents where my building should have been evacuated but wasn't due to incompetence or disinterest. In one case, several of my employees who were unable to negotiate stairs (due to injuries) were accidentally left trapped and unevacuated in an elevator lobby during a minor fire. They picked up the emergency phone and the response from the police was literally "WTF do you think I can do about it?" The response from my employers fire safety people when we complained was threatening to write a discipline referal for me because I didn't send people to fire training. (Three of the folks working for me were firemen who were delivering the training!) Don't assume that anyone has their shit together. Understand how to evacuate from your home and office and bug out when shit happens. Don't be like those poor people in WTC who followed instructions.

nfriedly 9y ago

> London rents being what they are I cannot move now and still save for a deposit... if I did I would be consigning myself to never own the property in which I live. What about moving to someplace less expensive than London?

buro9 9y ago
It's a consideration. But work is in London and choices for work are in London, and housing within reach of London isn't an order of magnitude cheaper than the fringes (zone 3-6) of London already.
- nfriedly 9y ago
  That's fair - if you want to stick with your current employer, then your options are somewhat limited. But you can still talk to them and explain your situation and goals, and expressed that you would like either higher pay or a relocation to a less expensive city. You could put it in terms of "this would help me sleep better and thus be a more productive employee." You're probably also have in-demand skills - so if your current employer is not willing to work with you, you could conceivably get a similar or larger salary and relocate to a less expensive city at the same time with a new employer. I have a list of several hundred recruiters who have emailed me over the years, send me an email (in my profile) if you'd like a copy.

jacquesm 9y ago

Are you saving towards a downpayment?

buro9 9y ago
Of course. At the current rate, 14 more months. Were I to move today and pay market rate rent, 65 months. The single event that would make a difference would be a windfall of some kind, most probable within 14 months would be secondary market liquidity for the options I have vested already. Unlike most, we do not have inheritance nor bank of mum and dad as possibilities at all. We have to do it the slow hard way.
- jacquesm 9y ago
  I've sent you some mail.