"Anyone who owns a high-rise building, they have a responsibility, and we're going to be working with them on fire safety or police safety in any building in an emergency," says Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who introduced the ordinance. "More stringent evacuation measures need to be put in place in high-rise buildings to ensure that the occupants are able to get out safely."

The rules apply to any building higher than 80 feet.

"We recognize that many people feel uneasy about working and living in high-rises following the events of September 11 and we know we must do all we can to ease those fears and also put in place the best plans for evacuating those types of buildings," says Office of Emergency Communications Director Cortez Trotter.