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There is a quote that says ‘Being Organized is Being in Control’. When a fire occurs, most people tend to panic and run out haphazardly. This not only results in mayhem but can result in stampedes, which are dangerous. To make sure that there is safe evacuation in a fire emergency situation, a fire evacuation plan is created for every building. This is a written document that contains information on what is to be done when a fire occurs. All the occupants of the building are given fire safety training according to the plan and are familiar with the outline of the plan, which highlights the emergency exits to be used by each particular person. According to the National Building Code of India, all employees in a company must be mandatorily briefed on the emergency protocols.
Types Of Fire Evacuation Plans:
There are four types of evacuation strategies, depending on the type of building and inhabitants.
1. Simultaneous Evacuation:
This is the most common method for small buildings, where everyone exits at once, but in a calm and orderly fashion. People generally go to the nearest emergency exit and proceed outdoors through it.
2. Vertical/Horizontal Phased Evacuation:
For large buildings with multiple floors, this prevents overcrowding of the emergency exits. Generally, the areas closest to the fires are first evacuated, followed by the areas that are further away from the fire. Here, floors that are higher up are first evacuated as well, as there are more chances of the occupants getting trapped as the fire and smoke rises. It is essential that the building has a suitable alarm system with two-way communication so that proper evacuation methods can be followed at the appropriate time.
3. Silent Alarm/ Staff Evacuation Alarm:
In public places such as movie theatres or malls, raising a general alarm may cause panic among visitors. This evacuation procedure alerts the staff through beepers or pagers, etc., so that they begin evacuating people in an orderly fashion, or raise a general alarm when they are prepared.
4. Defend in Place:
This fire emergency strategy is generally used in hospitals, and places with small cubicles or compartments. Hospitals have bedridden patients who are difficult to move. In that case, people are instructed to wait in their place until firefighting teams land on spot and extinguish the fire. For this method, it is important to ensure that there are measures to call a fire team swiftly.
Procedure To Create a Fire Evacuation Plan:
To create an appropriate and effective fire evacuation procedure, you must include the following:
- Escape doors and emergency exits.
- An Alarm System
- A Fire Suppression System.
- An Assembly Point.
- System for a Roll Call
Method of Contacting Fire Services
Essential Aspects to Show in Your Fire Evacuation Plan are:
- Clear markings of emergency exits.
- Unobstructed escape routes with direction markings.
- A safe assembly point.
- Fire Safety training for all occupants in the building.
- Proper firefighting equipment such as fire suppression systems and fire extinguishers.
It is essential to conduct regular fire drills, to ensure that your emergency evacuation plan works efficiently. There is various fire fighting contractors in Pune, who can help you come up with an efficient evacuation plan. Acufire Systems Pvt. Ltd. is the best fire contractor in Pune, which helps you create an appropriate fire evacuation plan, and also provides fire safety training.
Visit Acufire for more information about our products and services.
