Emergency Evacuations: Best Practices
It’s not complicated but it’s vitally important. When the fire alarm rings, you need to evacuate right away. That’s no time to start asking coworkers “Do you remember where we’re supposed to meet? Who’s in charge? Should I bring my computer? What are we supposed to do with Fred? He’s in a wheelchair.” Here’s the simple plan.
Protocols

Prepare for a safe and successful emergency evacuation of your office by giving employees the information they need. Emphasize the importance of:
- Knowing the locations of the nearest exits, and the routes that everyone should follow to reach them.
- Knowing the locations of the fire alarm pull stations and the fire hose cabinets.
- Knowing the Safe Stairwell guidelines, which during evacuations disallow any eating and drinking, the use of cell phones and other portable technology, and moving against the flow of stairwell traffic.
- Knowing the location of the Safe Gathering (or Muster) Site
Orientation
You can cover these points during a 15- minute orientation session, including important questions such as:
- “Should I gather my personal items before I evacuate the office?”
Ideally, you will evacuate as quickly as possible. You can gather coats, purses, wallets, keys, and other small personal items before you make your exit, but do not try to carry out larger, heavier items, since to do so could slow you down.
- “Can I use the elevator during an emergency evacuation of our building?”
No. Avoid elevators and use stairwells. You do not want to be caught in an elevator during a fire or toxic spill.
- “What if there’s smoke in the stairwell that I use to evacuate?”
If you encounter smoke or fumes in your stairwell, use an alternative stairwell in a different part of your building.
- “What if the directions from firefighters and other first responders disagree with the instructions from my manager?”
Directions from firefighters, police, and paramedics take precedence over instructions from your manager.
- “Somebody in my department uses a wheelchair. How can we keep that person safe, and render the proper assistance during an evacuation?”
Make sure that anyone who needs assistance to evacuate the building has informed your Fire Warden and knows the location of your building’s Emergency Refuge area. Note that people with physical and emotional challenges might need different kinds of assistance during an evacuation.
Drills
Fire codes demand that all offices hold fire drills regularly, i.e. annually or semi- annually. Treat your drill as if it were a response to a real emergency. Encourage everyone to participate, and record outstanding observations to improve your performance. It pays to respect these best practices.
If you’d like to comment on this article or explore these ideas further, contact me at guy.
This article was published in the
October 2022
edition of The TMC Advisor
- ISSN 2369-663X Volume:9 Issue:5
©2022 TMC Consulting