MANY Houstonians were saddened by the recent fire (see the March 30 Chronicle article "Deadly fire prompts a new look at safety code"). The Chronicle reported that Mayor Bill White said the city of Houston may require owners to upgrade fire-safety equipment in dozens of older, midrise buildings. Of course, we all want to work in safe buildings, but are more regulations and mandates the correct response to this tragedy? Wouldn't that take too long? And what would the cost be? Fortunately, there is a marketplace solution that would improve midrise building safety: Have all midrise buildings in Houston, both new and old, labeled so that you and I can decide whether we want to work in or even visit an unsafe building.

We are smarter when we are informed. Mayor Bill White should assemble a panel of building safety experts and give them 30 days to come up with a "top 10" list relevant to midrise buildings.

Every building owner would have to display the list prominently, including boxes to indicate "installed" or "not installed" in plain English. Do this within a few months and then let the marketplace take over.

Just think how you'd feel if you visited an office with 10 out of 10 items labelled "not installed"? Wouldn't you think twice about going into that building? You might even reschedule your appointment or deal with a different company.

Within short order, our preferences for safety would send a message to building owners; building rental rates would adjust; and owners would install the safety features that make the most sense to their tenants. Within a year, basic safety improvements would be made to those buildings that are fire traps today.

But without this basic information, I cannot make a reasonable choice to protect my life or the lives of my loved ones.