Educating Her Peers on Safety
Elevator Ordeal Prompts Senior Center's Resident to Act

By Natalie McGill
Gazette Staff Writer
Thursday, July 24, 2008

After being stuck in an elevator at the St. Paul's Senior Living Center in the spring -- five hours with an emergency phone that didn't work -- Lucy Anthony of Capitol Heights took steps to ensure no other resident would face such an ordeal.

Anthony, 71, coordinated a senior safety presentation at the center last week, inviting officials from the Prince George's County Sheriff's Office and Fire and EMS Department to educate seniors on fire safety and how to plan emergency escape routes. More than 220 residents live in the building, and Anthony made more than 200 informational booklets with lists of items needed in emergencies, such as a portable radio, a flashlight, a lantern and an identification bracelet.

Denise Watkins, senior safety coordinator for the fire department, presented a slide show about fire safety, fire prevention and emergency preparedness. She distributed tipsheets and other information.

"There was so much wealth and knowledge that they left the residents with," Anthony said. "It was really wonderful. . . . I made a first-aid kit with all kinds of medical items in it."

Anthony, who lives on the top floor of the four-story complex, said she was stuck in one of the structure's three elevators May 31 and was unable to call anyone because the elevator phone was broken. Anthony, an amputee who uses a wheelchair, said county fire and rescue personnel had to pry open the elevator door to free her.

Anthony, who is diabetic, said she tried not to panic but was nevertheless frightened by thoughts of having a medical emergency, such as going into hypoglycemic shock. Since that day, she said, she always called a friend to let her know anytime she entered the elevator at the center. The elevator and phone have since been repaired.

The Bozzuto Group, which manages the building, issued a statement saying that a power surge put all three elevators out of service May 31. Lauren McDonald, a spokeswoman for Bozzuto, said one of the elevators did not respond to the backup generator. She said that elevator had faulty wiring and was out of service for "approximately three hours" and was rewired and working the next day.

"To our knowledge, no residents were inside the one elevator while it was out of service," McDonald said. "The comfort and satisfaction of our residents is our highest priority."

Anthony, head of the center's fire safety committee, said the residents were provided valuable advice at the meeting, such as not to overload electrical outlets and not to run during a fire. Someone caught in a fire should drop to the ground and roll, they were told.

"I know seniors may not be able to get down low, but they need to get down low enough to get down safely," Anthony said.

She said many residents asked for a similar meeting in the future.

Minnie Jones, a St. Paul's resident for more than four years, said she found the information helpful.

"We got a lot of fire safety tips that we hadn't had before," Jones said. "They talked about the smoke detectors, the carbon monoxide protection and the escape plan. It was quite a bit. Really, it was a very successful meeting."