How Thorough Is Your Evacuation Program?

A thorough evacuation program can mean the difference between life and death. It is the first step to any life safety program. All occupants must know their role in an evacuation, and take it seriously. This article will review the key points for a safe and effective evacuation.

Every facility should have trained Evacuation Teams with designated leaders or Floor Wardens for each floor or area, with an assistant or alternate assigned in case of absence. The Evacuation Team should consist of Sweep Teams, Stairwell and Elevator Monitors. Every Sweep Team should always be comprised of 2 members, known as the “buddy system”. Pre-name the Floor Warden and alternate as part of the advanced planning process. The remaining designated Evacuation Team members will be assigned their specific team duty at the time of the evacuation, so you can be certain all positions are covered.

For example, an office building floor with 50 employees might, depending on the layout, require 10 Evacuation Team members: The Floor Warden and assistant, 2 Sweep Teams, 2 Elevator Monitors and 2 Stairwell Monitors. Therefore, it would be best to have 12 people trained in advance, to allow for 2 absences during an event. Of those 12 people, only the Floor Warden and assistant would be pre-named to their positions.

When an evacuation is initiated, all Evacuation Team members immediately meet at a pre-designated evacuation staging area on the floor, which is located away from building alarms and strobes. The Floor Warden will then assign and deploy each of the teams, recording their names and positions.

Stairwell Monitors will oversee each stairwell for safety and to maintain order. An Elevator Monitor is assigned to each elevator to ensure that elevators are not used.

People are creatures of habit. They usually come and go through the same entrance/exit every day. During an emergency or disaster, the closest, safest exit is the way to evacuate. It is important to stay to one side of the stairwell, refrain from bringing any drinks and no talking on the phone!!

Occupants should meet outside at a pre-designated assembly area. It is best if the area is identified with signage, and it should be at least 300 feet away from the building. At this assembly area, pre-assigned Roll Takers should be accounting for the occupants, to determine the missing. Each Roll Taker should have a list of names in alphabetical order of the occupants that are checking in. The missing names will then be identified and reported to the assigned person in charge of the building’s life safety (i.e., Fire Safety Director, Building Coordinator etc.).

Sweep Teams are given a floor plan identifying their area of assignment. This team encourages all occupants to exit the building. The Sweep Team will assess every space that is unlocked (including restrooms and closets) to ensure it has been evacuated. Prior to opening a door, feel the door from bottom to top with an ungloved hand. Use the back of the hand feeling the handle last. If the door is warm, DO NOT OPEN! If the door is locked and cannot be opened, then bang on the door and shout, “the building is being evacuated, evacuate immediately”. All doors are to be left closed. All areas swept are identified by placing an average size post-it (3×3), on the door.

Once the sweep is complete, all Sweep Teams return to the Floor Warden and report any victim or damage findings. The Floor Warden and Sweep Teams then gather the Elevator and Stairwell Monitors and all team members exit the building together. Any findings need to be recorded and reported to the assigned person in charge of the building’s life safety, Fire Safety Director/Building Coordinator, who in turn reports to any arriving authorities.

To assist in executing an effective evacuation program:

• Purchase two-way radios for Evacuation Team members.
• Identify occupant assembly areas and Evacuation Team staging areas.
• Identify and mark assembly and staging areas on site/floor maps.
• Develop a list of occupant names in alphabetical order (updated as needed), for each Roll Taker with a missing person’s column.
• Develop a quick reference guide of action steps for each Evacuation Team member’s duties.
• Develop a team assignment document to track Evacuation Team member names.
• Identify manageable sweep areas on floor plans. Color-code each area so the Sweep Team has clear knowledge of their assignment.
• Develop a victim/damage report form for each Floor Warden to report any findings.
• Conduct annual Evacuation Team trainings and evacuation drills.