Many times the only reason employees leave the building when the fire alarm sounds is because they want a break or can't stand the noise. The thought that there might actually be a life threatening situation never crosses their minds. After all, it can't happen to me...can it? It's probably false anyway.
Your company may have an emergency plan. Great! Is it up to date? Do the evacuation routes and storm spots reflect the new floor plan after the remodel? Are you confident your employees could carry it out if an emergency arises? Do they even know it exists?
We cannot write your emergency plan for you. You must do that yourself and maintain ownership of it. You know better than us the daily traffic patterns, remodel changes, etc. that occur in your facility. We can however, give guidance, answer questions and provide example forms and diagrams. Some of this is available in the Emergency Planning Kit on this Web site.
Another way we can help is to give validity to your plan through presentation of a program. We can speak to floor marshals, safety committees and entire organizations. Audiences will learn about the three components of a successful emergency plan.
- Fire Department Responsibility - It is our responsibility to inspect
for code compliance and be prepared to respond to an emergency in your
building in the quickest and most efficient way possible.
- Management Responsibility - The building management is responsible for developing a plan and making
changes to the plan as necessary based on the
changes which occur in the organization or building. They also need to make
the occupants aware of the plan and their expected role in it.
- Building Occupants (Employees) - The employees, associates, occupants, etc. have a responsibility to act appropriately according to the plan. The fire department can be prepared and the management can create the perfect plan, but if people don't respond the plan may not be successful.
We also discuss the fire protection features of the building, location of fire extinguishers and pull stations and awareness of exit locations.
The presentation lasts 30-45 minutes depending on the amount of questions from the participants. An abbreviated version of the Fire Extinguisher Classroom Presentation is included.
If you would like more information, contact Tricia Roberts at 913/888-6066 or tricia.roberts@opkansas.org.