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Show HiBtop f-- & Turkey wrappin g inspires invention ' ' !fc l of by Rhonda Elmore 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs An idea that started with a Thanksgiving turkey is now providing a safe escape from the Hill runway control tower. On a cold, windy October afternoon, 11 stories up. air traffic control tower workers and the 75th Air Base Wing command staff got the ride of their lives in the Baker Life Chute. sit"I thought if it was a ' real-worl- d uation, how much better, safer it was to use the Baker Life Chute than the old rope ladders they used to use," said Col. David Beecroft, 75th ABW commander. "It was fun riding down the chute and I didn't look down." Beecroft and 75th ABW executive officer Capt. Mark Messenbrink, both agreed the chute was "scary at first." "At first it was scary because I did look what I wasn't supposed to do down and see how far it was to the ground," Mesenbrink said. "As I edged fir & 1 is MM I forward in the chute, I gradually become more confidant and picked up speed." Photo by Marvin Lynchard and Rhonda Elmore The chute is essentially a long, mesh Master Sgt. Matthew Green, 75th Operations Support bag that can slide people to safety from Squadron, lines up before testing the safety chute. tall structures. after the other in a steady stream" withRalph Baker, inventor, designer and manout having to wait until one person has ufacturer of the Baker Life Chute, said he reached the bottom of the chute, Baker said. got the idea after he watched news footage "As you go down, you put your hands behind of the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel fire in your head and spread your feet apart," Baker November 1980. Nearly 90 people died in said, explaining the evacuation procedures. the blaze. Seeing people trapped on the top floors of the building left a deep impression on him. "The tragic scene played over and over in my head," Baker said, noting that he could think of nothing else for at least a month. Baker said he couldn't understand why, if America has the ability to send a man to a chute, you've waited mid-Decemb- "The farther you spread your feet, the slower you you can stop trav- eling. Cross your feet at the ankles and you can travel down the chute pretty fast." (J Including the Hill chute, Baker has i , rm Yi Pfw M$j 21 for the Air Force. He and his right-hanman, Tony Quattro, a d army AFB, Okla., and Lackland AFB, Texas. Baker a has Fire Department personnel watch closely as 2nd Lt. Stephan Joo, 75th OSS, makes the drop from the runway control tower's observation platform. Ralph Baker, left, designer and of the manufacturer Life Baker Chute, explains how he got the it installed his chutes at fire depart ving home from the trucking company he owned and ran, ments, oil refineries and multi-stor- y office trying to remember all of the things that buildings. He says the Air Force is his No. needed to be taken care before the end of 1 customer and oil refineries are a close the year. second. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, "We gave our employees a bonus and a people are showing more interest in his turkey at Christmas time. I was remind- product. ing myself to order the turkeys and just as "The unique thing about (buildings like) I said 'turkeys' an image of the fire came to the World Trade Center is their height," me, along with a mesh bag turkey is carried said Baker. "With a little preplanning, a perin," Baker said. manent cable could have been attached from He envisioned the mesh bag attached to the WTC buildings to shorter buildings a building and saw a man getting into the across the street and the chutes could have been installed at the tops of the WTC buildbag and floating safely to the ground. "I just started laughing and thought 'why ings. The chutes could be let down the cable, hasn't someone else come up with this idea and people near the top of the WTCs could long ago?' It's round, you're encircled by have gone to the roof and gotten away safely. lation of the Life Chute. They train the purit, you can't fall out of it and you can't slip You could go from building to building in chasers and their employees on how to and fall off of it," Baker said set up the chute, how to go down the chute descending order." chutes and the cords The custom-mad- e Two weeks ago The New York Times did and how to retrieve and repack it. that make up the safety devices are based a e "I can't remember how many times I've spread on the Baker Life Chute on the customer specifications at the Baker and he appeared on "48 Hours" Oct. 20. gone down the chute. It must be in the hun"After The New York Times article came dreds," said Baker. Safety Products Company. Each cord has the tensile strength of 1,225 pounds. There out," Baker said, "a major New York banker Many people have asked Baker and Quatare 66 cords in the circumference of a chute, called me several times for a demonstration tro if the chute will burn. and each chute is capable of 88,000 pounds of the Life Chute, but I told him I have com"I'm totally up front about it," Baker said, mitments to fill first." "The Baker Life Chute will melt at 480 strength. Baker and Quattro travel to each instal- - degrees. I wouldn't be comfortable about "People can go down the chute one right two-pag- includes mortgage rate cap from page 8 mination. The military member must apply for the Act's protection during the term of service or within 90 days of service termination. Finally, the military member cannot have made an appearance in the case in question. An appearance means the member is subject to the court's jurisdiction. To avoid this, it is highly advisable to have a commander write a letter explaining the service member's circumstances to the court or to the opposing counsel in the case. To take advantage of this protection, the military member must show the ability to defend the lawsuit was prejudiced by their military service and that they had a meritorious defense to all or part of the orig- lawsuit Mortgage rate cap: Military members and their dependants can take advantage of having their mortgage rate capped at 6 percent However, unlike the interest rate cap, the mortgage rate cap has several other 1 colonel and childhood friend, will Ralph Baker Relief Act : : soon install life chutes at Altus Baker was dri- - inal I installed 42 chutes retired too long. i J& Ml feet enough and go. If you wait until the fire gets to the of a high rise build- ' travel. Spread your and you see smoke, deploy the chute and back, that no one could figure out a way to rescue people from the top ing. In , Ifyou're in the tower the moon and j criteria that must be met. First, the military member or their dependant must show that the member's active federal service has materially affected their ability to pay the obligation. Second, a mortgage, trust deed or some other security upon the real estate must secure the debt. Third, the obligation must have been entered into before entry into active military service. Fourth, the property in question must be owned by the service member or their dependant before entry into active military service and must still be owned by the military member or their dependant when relief is sought. What the act doesn't do: The act doesn't automatiof cally cap mortgage rates, or allow for debts while in federal active military service. Relief under the act isn't automatic every protection afforded by the Act requires the military member or their dependent to take some affirmative action to request relief and usually make some showing that the military service has materially effected them in some way. non-payme- nt For more information or help regarding the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act, or to obtain appro- priate correspondence in order to take advantage of the 0 Act, visit Legal Assistance on in in the Assistance office annex Bldg. a.m., Legal 800, just south of the new 75th Transportation Squadron offices. Monday-Thursda- y, 7:30-8:3- 1 1 idea. going down the chute at 480, 380, 280 or even 180 degrees. "The idea behind the chute is you use it before that happens. If you're in the tower and you see smoke, deploy the chute and go," Baker said. "If you wait until the fire gets to the chute, you've waited too long. Once you're on the ground and you can look up and see the whole thing burn, the chute has done its job. "You can replace the chute. You can't replace people." LEAVE SHARING The Leave Sharing program allows civilian employees to donate annual leave to benefit other employees whose annual or sick leave has been exhausted due to a medical emergency. To donate leave, fill out Official Form 630A (inside agency) or 630B attn: Sherryl Brown; (outside agency) and send it to or call Ext. take it to Bldg. 1245, Room 9; send a fax to Ext. E, Eleanor Pulido, Defense Logistics Agency Criminal Investigations e Security Controls, has exhausted her leave due to com- Activity-Trad- plications from ovarian cancer. For more details, call Pat Murphy, DDHU-Xat Ext. Christopher Erickson, Commodities Directorate, has chronic obstructive pulmonary lung disease and will remain on oxygen indefinitely. For more information, call Val Martinez, LIOCCP, at Ext. Brandy Ringel, Electronic Directorate, is a fairly new employee on base and has exhausted her leave due to several surgeries. For more or Carol Vigil, LEEC, information, call Sheri Cuddy, LEE, at Ext. at Ext. Travis Elkington, Electronic Directorate, has exhausted his leave due to knee injuries. He is recovering from surgery and is in therapy. Chantel Korab, Technology and Industrial Support Directorate, is on complete bed rest due to pregnancy difficulties. For more informaor Jane Flint, TIED, at tion, call Toni Christensen, TIED, at Ext. Ext. , |
