First, there is not enough advance planning for the fire drill. Best practice is to give at least three months notice to those responsible for a fire evacuation drill and follow up with two unobtrusive reminders to ensure commercial units or tenants are adequately prepared. For the fire drill to be as effective as possible, it is important that only a few key people know about it beforehand. It is not unusual to see people, coats on, hot drink in hand, waiting at reception minutes before the evacuation begins, this just wastes everyone’s time.
Second, current fire drill procedures are not reviewed. Are current fire procedures relevant and up to date? You should consider if anything has changed, for example evacuation routes, number of employees, or risk assessment results. If necessary, review and reissue your procedures well in advance of the fire drill. It will also assist with the ongoing provision of information to staff and others.
Third, too many people are informed about the planned drill. Contact the people who really need to know the date of the fire drill. Among yourselves, set a date that minimizes disruption to the organization. Once agreed, the date should only be moved in exceptional circumstances. If the date and time are changed more than twice, it will probably never happen.
The fourth mistake is not having Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP). Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP) are essential. These are produced for those who may need assistance with evacuation, such as those with impaired vision or mobility. It is important that the evacuation drill fully defies the PEEP that you have in place and the designated employees to whom you must provide safety assistance. To avoid additional pain or discomfort for anyone affected, you can ask them to work from home on the day of the fire drill and designate an able-bodied person to fill in for them to perform the PEEP test. It is important that you do not allow anyone in the building during the fire drill.
The fifth mistake is not treating a fire evacuation drill like an audit. When planning or improving your fire drill, the key is to view it as an audit. There has to be goals, a method, records, and reviews. The fire drill is not only a test of evacuation strategy, but also a test of the effectiveness of those with special responsibilities, such as firefighters.
For this reason, it is best that as few people as possible be aware of the impending fire drill. A fire warden must be able to carry out his or her responsibilities, whether it is a drill, a false alarm or an actual fire.
Not recording the result may be the sixth mistake during the fire drill. After the fire drill, you should have observed and recorded the following times:
- start time
- each floor or area confirmed as clear
- successful grounding of all elevators
- general completion of the drill
- minutes and seconds for a complete evacuation
- any other remarks
The drill should have created no more than 15-30 minutes of minor annoyance. It’s a small price to pay to help you avoid becoming part of the fire statistics.
The last and seventh mistake is, not giving feedback to everyone involved. As soon as possible after the fire drill, you should review the performance of the evacuation. This should involve fire wardens, security personnel, tenant representatives, and other affected parties. Make sure that the comments cover both the positive aspects and the areas for improvement. When improvements are identified, necessary actions should be taken immediately, but they should also be considered when reviewing your procedure when planning your next fire drill.
Publish the post-evacuation report to everyone involved and keep the findings under regular review. Take the opportunity to thank everyone involved and remind them of the importance of your continued support. If you need help planning or managing your fire evacuation drills, she’s available, just ask.