LESSONS LEARNED

Perhaps the most striking lesson to be learned from the One Meridian Plaza high-rise fire is what can happen when everything goes wrong. Major failures occurred in nearly all fire protection systems. Each of these failures helped produce a disaster. The responsibility for allowing these circumstances to transpire can be widely shared, even by those not directly associated with the events on and before February 23, 1991.

To prevent another disaster like One Meridian Plaza requires learning the lessons it can provide. The consequences of this incident are already being felt throughout the fire protection community. Major code changes have already been enacted in Philadelphia (see Appendix G) and new proposals are under consideration by the model code organizations. These changes may eventually reduce the likelihood of such a disaster in many communities.