Evacuations

General Information

For effective emergency evacuation in any situation, each Tenant should establish an Emergency Response Team based on the roles described below. Evacuation drills will be conducted at least annually, and all occupants of the building are required to participate.

The Tenant Emergency Response Team includes:

• TENANT WARDENS and their alternates, DEPUTY TENANT WARDENS, assume a key role in performing assigned duties.  They should be reliable, respected by other employees, and capable of providing guidance in the event of an emergency situation.  Tenant Wardens and their Deputies may be called upon to be lead their co-workers and therefore must display confidence and support cooperation.  During an emergency, corporate hierarchy should be relegated in favor of allowing the Tenant Emergency Response Team to effectively take charge (within the bounds of the Emergency Plan).  Each company must assign at least one Tenant Warden & Deputy Tenant Warden for every 50 employees. SPECIAL ASSISTANCE TENANT WARDENS (and Deputies) must be designated to assist persons with disabilities within your company in the event of an emergency evacuation. 

All members of the Tenant Emergency Response Team should:

• Read and understand the entire Emergencies Section of this manual.  Train fellow employees in emergency response procedures.
• Be known by the Management Staff. 
• Participate in periodic training sessions.
• Know the layout of their floor including the exits and location of fire equipment.  Familiarize fellow employees with this information.
• Know how to use fire equipment (fire extinguishers).  Familiarize fellow employees with the use of the equipment.
• Be knowledgeable about what is and is not commonplace in their area of responsibility (in the event of a bomb threat).
• Communicate their absences from work to their Deputies.

The Management Staff is available to assist you in organizing intra-company training sessions.

Evacuation and your belongings

Prior to an emergency evacuation, Tenants should predetermine priorities for the safety of records, classified material and/or securities. Tenant Wardens should ensure that all employees are well informed and instructed on evacuation procedures and how they relate to transporting belongings out of the building in the event of an emergency.

Safe Refuge Area

Throughout this section, you will see the term, Safe Refuge Area.  In building evacuation situations, Tenants are required to exit the building and assemble in this area which has been designated by the Management Staff. 

Procedures

An effective building evacuation depends on the orderly “phasing” of floor clearance via the stairwells. The emergency floor is evacuated first. The next floor to evacuate should be the floor above followed by the floor below. The Management Staff will direct the evacuation until local authorities arrive.

Tenant Wardens Responsibilities

• Assume full control of their areas of responsibility, advising all occupants of the emergency.
• Begin the evacuation process.  Calmly supervise and monitor the flow of people.
• Instruct employees to form a single line and proceed on the right side of the stairwell for descent.  Distribute employees evenly through the stairwells.
• Check for remaining occupants in area of responsibility, turn off lights and close doors after the last person has evacuated.  Do not lock office doors if the office is involved in a fire.
• Make sure stairwell doors are closed after the last person has evacuated the area.
• Keep the Management Staff informed of the means being employed for evacuation by the occupants of your area?
• Upon exiting the stairwell on the ground floor, proceed to the Safe Refuge Area and make sure everyone in your office or area of responsibility is accounted for.  If someone is missing, the information should be immediately conveyed to the Management Staff.

Special Assistance Tenant Wardens

The identity and location of individuals requiring special assistance during an evacuation must be known by the Management Staff in advance.

• Immediately make contact with assigned person.  Assigned persons should wait in a previously designated location for assistance.
• If necessary, carry assigned person though the evacuation process.  Wheelchairs should be left behind.
• Individuals requiring special assistance should be taken to the nearest stairwell landing to await building or fire department personnel.

All Building Occupants

• When evacuation is necessary, follow instructions given over the public address system and by your Tenant Emergency Response Team.  Gather essential belongings if there is time to do so as re-entry to the Building will not be allowed during an emergency.
• Use the stairs.  Allow visibly nervous or emotional individuals to exit first. 
• Remove high-heeled shoes to facilitate walking downstairs. 
• Remain quiet in the stairwells.
• When outside, stay in the Safe Refuge Area away from the Building & wait for instructions.
• Recognize that it is essential to voluntarily accept emergency instructions given by the Tenant Emergency Response Team in order to ensure safe and orderly response.

Management Staff Responsibilities

In general, the Management Staff is responsible for coordinating and implementing an effective evacuation of the Building’s occupants in the case of an emergency prior to the arrival of local authorities.  Some examples of the specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Report to the command station to ensure that local authorities have been contacted.
• Using the public address system, make necessary announcements to direct evacuation flow.
• Report to lobby level of evacuation stairwell to direct tenants and control movement of occupants to the Safe Refuge Area.
• Direct local authorities who arrive on the scene and inform them of current conditions.

After a Building Evacuation

For future reference by the Management Office, Tenant Emergency Response Team members should immediately write a brief report covering their actions and response to the emergency including any special problems or incidents that were encountered.  The reports should be collected by the Designated Tenant Contact and submitted to the Management Office as soon as possible.