SACRAMENTO -- The Joe Serna Jr. - California Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters Building, widely regarded as one of this nation's most environmentally sensitive office towers, has completed installation of a digital occupant emergency-preparedness training system that now solidifies its stature among the safest, as well.

The 25-story, 950,000-square-foot tower, located at 10th and I streets, is the first local building to be outfitted with BSSonline(R), a proprietary Web-based life-safety training application that brings unprecedented consistency, standardization and always-on access to emergency preparedness measures.

Cal/EPA Building occupants now utilize a training application laden with building-specific information and protocols on how to respond to virtually any emergency situation--manmade and natural disasters alike--ranging from terrorism to biological and chemical threats, and from fires to earthquakes.

Easily updated, the BSSonline program utilizes custom 3D graphics, simulation and voiceover narration, and enables users to complete annual emergency training in a user-friendly way on their own schedules, a boon to workplace productivity. The new technology obviates traditional training methods, including live classroom sessions which can lack consistency, or videos and manuals, often deemed static and uninteresting.

BSSonline was developed by Pasadena, Calif.-based Building Safety Solutions. The Cal/EPA Building joins a burgeoning list of "trophy" office properties across the country--including San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid, Chicago's John Hancock Center, Rockefeller Center in New York and Fox Plaza in Los Angeles--that also have recently deployed the program.

"No one can possibly foresee a disaster--whether an earthquake, fire or act of terrorism--but we can take steps to be better prepared," said Theresa Parsley, Cal/EPA's Assistant Secretary for Facilities Programs. "BSSonline is great tool, a real breakthrough for emergency preparedness training for our employees, and was chosen for the Cal/EPA Building for both its functionality and high degree of accuracy."

Cal/EPA Building occupants can log on and view customized, building-specific information on floor plans, emergency exits and evacuation procedures 24/7 from the convenience of any computer. In addition, the application includes a required quiz for occupants, while a management-tool module enables facility management to track compliance. For safekeeping, access to the application and data are stored offsite on constantly monitored secure servers, and access requires an authorized username and password.

"BSSonline is, simply put, a better way for office towers to effect life-safety training," said Craig Sheehy, director of property management for Thomas Properties Group, Inc., which manages the Cal/EPA building. "The application affords greater uniformity in training methods, as well as ease of access and convenience to tenants, who can log-in and complete anytime. It's a wonderful amenity--a real boon to workplace productivity in that regard. From a property management standpoint, we can easily keep tabs on who's taken the training and who hasn't."

Hector M. Gomez, Building Safety Solutions' president and chief executive officer, stated: "BSSonline brings life-safety training into the digital age, as well as addresses the concerns of tenants and landlords in a security-conscious, post-9/11 world. Our new application is validation that state-of-the-art technology brings greater productivity but does not necessarily cost more. Landlords are learning that BSSonline can be deployed for just a few cents per square foot--at vast savings over live training and paper manuals."

Since its introduction in 2001, BSSonline has been deployed in 100 major buildings around the country and was named one of the "100 Top New Products" by Buildings magazine.

About Building Safety Solutions, Inc.
Building Safety Solutions, Inc. (BSS) is a leading nationwide firm engaged in commercial property life-safety and due diligence consulting. The company, based in Pasadena, Calif., has harnessed this formidable expertise into state-of-the-art information-technology products and services applications for building occupants, office engineers, security personnel and fire and police first responders. Building Safety Solutions has implemented custom online systems in the most prominent office buildings throughout the nation including installations in "trophy properties" in most major U.S. cities. For more information please contact Elliot Powers, executive vice president, 626-584-9880 or visit www.buildingsafetysolutions.com

About the Joe Serna Jr. - Cal/EPA Headquarters Building
Thomas Properties Group, Inc. developed and A.C. Martin designed the Joe Serna Jr. / Cal/EPA Headquarters Building project as a Public-Private partnership with the City of Sacramento. The project is a response to the State of California Department of General Services RFP for a new build-to-suit headquarters for the California Environmental Protection Agency. The 25-story, 950,000 square foot office building was completed in early 2001 and is located in downtown Sacramento. It still stands today as the city's largest commercial high-rise real estate development project. The Joe Serna Jr. Cal/EPA Headquarters Building is recognized nationally as one of the most energy efficient and sustainable commercial office developments in the country. Cal/EPA, including the California Air Resources Board, Integrated Waste Management Board, Water Resources Control Board, Department of Toxic Substance Control, Department of Pesticide Regulation, and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, as well as the State Infrastructure Bank, occupy the facility in its entirety.

About Thomas Properties Group, Inc.
Thomas Properties Group, Inc. (Nasdaq-NM: TPGI) is a full-service real estate company that owns, acquires, develops and manages office, retail and multi-family properties throughout the United States. The company has four primary areas of focus: property operations, property acquisitions, property development and redevelopment, and investment management. The company seeks to capitalize on opportunities for above-average risk-adjusted investment returns from real estate ownership, while managing the volatility associated with the real estate industry through joint-venture ownership structures. For more information on Thomas Properties Group, Inc., visit the company's website at www.tpgre.com.