Fire drills are just as important in an office environment. Here’s how to plan the best possible fire drill and get your employees out safely.
Fire drills are common occurrences in schools since they typically happen close to the beginning of the year. Then, they’ll happen a few more times throughout the year. This way, students, teachers, and staff will know what to do when a real fire starts. Fire drills are just as important in an office environment. Here’s how to plan the best possible fire drill and get your employees out safely.
The Purpose of Fire Drills
Each drill needs to have a goal, whatever that goal is. It’s important for every company to have responsible leaders who will show their team members what the procedure for a fire happens. You’ll never know when someone will pull the alarm as a prank or burn toast in the next office and cause the alarm to sound for the entire building. The first drill could serve to show everyone how to quickly reach the exits and then how far away they should gather and wait until the all clear is given to re-enter the building. Subsequent drills could strive to improve evacuation times.
Planning a Drill
First of all, make sure all equipment can be left alone for a few minutes. That way, they don’t accidentally cause a real fire on accident.
Also, choose a few employees and name them as the fire wardens for the month. In this role, they will serve as observers for the next fire drill. They can measure if any improvement is happening, but you’ll need to train them in the proper ways to do this. Be sure to let any visitors know that a fire drill is going to happen. Even though some fire drills should be unscheduled, you don’t want to alarm anyone unnecessarily.
What Happens Next
Once you have selected a date for the next fire drill, appoint someone in the planning meeting as the fire drill leader. They’ll show everyone where to go and what to do to escape the building. They’ll also be in charge of making sure everyone made it outside your building safely. During the fire drill itself, the leader and the wardens need to work together.
Together, they can inspect any exit doors (especially if they are fire doors) that aren’t opening smoothly. They can also take note of how to assist people with limited mobility, and observe if anyone does something they shouldn’t – such as collecting personal effects before leaving.
Commercial and Residential Fire Prevention from Judd Fire Protection
If you want to ensure your home and business are safe throughout the year, trust Judd Fire Protection, LLC. We have over two decades of experience in designing, installing, inspecting, and repairing residential and commercial fire protection systems. We serve clients throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia. If you are interested in finding out more about our services and protecting your home and business, give us a call at 410-871-3480 or contact us online. For more fire safety tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.