Musings: In case of fire at Macy's, where do I go?

A reader complains about the lack of fire safety signage at Macy's in Roosevelt Field mall. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Whatever happened to the concept of “safety first”? How can a large department store have no signage advising shoppers and employees where to find stairs to exit the building in an emergency?
On a mid-January Sunday afternoon, I was shopping on the third floor at the Roosevelt Field Macy’s when smoke alarms sounded as smoke billowed. Since the escalators were not functioning, I realized I would need to find stairs to evacuate safely. I had no clue where they were.
Fortunately, a kind employee of a nearby store offered to walk me to an exit and explained how to safely exit the third floor into the mall so I could reach my car.
After I arrived home, I learned Macy’s had an electrical fire in an escalator and luckily nobody was injured.
So, I since have wondered why weren’t there mall security employees directing shoppers and employees how to exit in such an emergency? I sure did not encounter any.
— Kathy Tallon, East Meadow
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