Chief O' Hallorhan quotes from The Towering Inferno (1974)

Chief, this is Roberts, the architect.

What do we got here Kappy?

Fire started, 81st floor, storage room. This is a bad one. Smoke is so thick we can't tell how far it's spread.

What about your exhaust system?

Doug Roberts

Well it should have reversed automatically. It must have been a motor burn-out or something.

Sprinklers?

Doug Roberts

They're not working on 81.

Why not?

Doug Roberts

I don't know.

Jim?

Yes sir.

Alright, give us a quick refresher on your standpipe system.

Doug Roberts

Well, we got outlets on every floor, both 3 1/2" inch.

GPM?

Doug Roberts

1500 from Ground to 68, 1000 from 68 to 100 and 500 from there to the roof.

Alright, you sure these elevators are programmed for emergency service?

Doug Roberts

These two are.

What floor do you keep your plans on?

Doug Roberts

79, my office.

That's good, that's 2 floors below the fire. Alright, that'll be our Forward Command. Alright men, take up the equipment. Alright, let's go. (Roberts, O'Halloran, Kappy and a fireman board the elevator for the 79th floor)

Ok. Phew...architects.

Doug Roberts

Yeah, it's all our fault.

Now you know there's no sure way for us to fight a fire in anything over the 7th floor. But you guys just keep building them as high as you can.

Doug Roberts

Hey, are you here to take me on, or the fire?

Doug Roberts

And they're celebrating... a party.

Party? What party? Where?

Doug Roberts

In the Promenade Room. 300 people.

Well, why didn't you get them the hell out of there?

Doug Roberts

Why don't you go upstairs and talk to Duncan? He ain't exactly listening to me.

I will.

You looking for me, Chief?

If you're Duncan, yeah.

I am. Everything under control?

We gotta move all these people outta here.

Oh now just how bad is it?

It's a fire, mister. And all fires are bad.

Well, uh, I don't believe you're familiar with the many modern safety systems we have designed into this building. We've got 'em all.

All right. It's your building, but it's our fire. Now let's get these people the hell out of here.

Now I don't think you're listening, Chief. There's no way for a fire on 81 to reach up here, not in this building!

Okay. I'll do it.

Hold it, hold it. The mayor's out there. Do you want me to pull rank on you?

When there's a fire, I outrank everybody here. Now one thing we don't want is a panic. Now I could tell them, but you oughta do it. Just make a nice cool announcement to all your guests and tell them the party's being moved down below the fire floor. Right now.

It's out of control. And it's coming your way. You've got about 15 minutes. Now they wanna try something. They wanna blow those water tanks 2 floors above you - they think it might kill the fire.

Doug Roberts

How are they gonna get the explosives up here?

Oh they'll find some dumb son of a bitch to bring 'em up.

Doug Roberts

Hang on, I'll tell 'em. (Roberts goes to tell the remaining guests) They wanna try to put out the fire by blowing up the water tanks above us. It's gonna mean a lot of water and steel and concrete but if they don't try it...we're all gonna burn. The fire's out of control below us. They think we got maybe 15 minutes. This way, some of us might survive. We've got no options. (the fire breaks into the Promenade Room, the guests panic and make a run for the Breeches Buoy. Simmons gets there first, and fights his way on, and a fight breaks out among the men to get him off. An explosion destroys the ropes sending Simmons, Senator Parker and several others to their deaths)

Yeah?
Doug Roberts (returning to the phone) Well, we just lost the Breeches Buoy, there was a panic up here. It's under control now.

Ok, now I'm going to try and set down on the roof, I'm gonna need you up there.

Doug Roberts

Well I know how where to place the charges, but I don't know how.

I know how.

Doug Roberts

Ok. See you up there.

You know we were lucky tonight. Body count's less than 200. You know, one of these days you're gonna kill 10,000 in one of these firetraps, and I'm gonna keep eating smoke and bringing out bodies until somebody asks us... how to build them.

Doug Roberts

Okay, I'm asking.

You know where to reach me. So long, architect.