There are some professions that deserve a lot of consideration. In terms of design, the comfortability, funcionality and eficiency of their equipment. But is also necessary to regard their empiric knowledge as a resource to take into account when designing.
The movie is based on two novels (R.M. Stern’s The Tower and T. Scortia & F. Robinson’s The Glass Inferno). William D. Leavitt, though, identifies in an article some weak points, considering that “the entertainment value of the books and movie are high, but the facts are wrong and the danger of spreading unjustified fear is too great.”
Chief Mike O’Hallorhan (Steve McQueen) – Where are those choppers, dammit?
Fireman – Navy’s been alerted.
CMO’H – Why do they make this goddamn things so heavy?
F – You want an easy chair?
CMO’H – I don’t see why they couldn’t design a survival suit for us like they do for football players.
F – Who pays to see us play?
CMO’H – Yeah, yeah…[...]
CMO’H – You know, one of these days, is gonna kill ten thousand, 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 (Paul Newman) – Okay. I’m asking.
CMO’H – You know where to reach me. So long, architect.
PS: Here you can find an interesting image gallery about the movie.