Evacuation Personnel Duties
Emergency Wardens
A minimum of one Evacuation Warden and an alternate is appointed per floor and per twenty employees in a building. Following the appointment, evacuation wardens and alternates complete training coordinated by EHS. When an alarm sounds, Evacuation Wardens or their alternates have the following responsibilities:
1. Conduct an orderly evacuation of their assigned area by directing occupants to the nearest unobstructed fire exit. Elevators must not be used.
When it appears that the floor evacuation is nearly complete, the Warden may enlist the aid of an untrained volunteer to conduct a search of their immediate area to determine that all individuals have exited the area. For safety, the Warden and the volunteer (if present) will search as a team at all times. They will proceed from one fire exit to another until one of the following conditions have been met:
- The entire floor or assigned area has been searched.
- They encounter another search team and determine that the entire floor has been searched.
- They encounter an unsafe condition requiring them to evacuate the floor and the building.
When one of these conditions has been met, the Warden and volunteer will leave the floor via the nearest fire exit.
2. The Warden will report to the Evacuation Assembly Point outside the building and report the following to the Lead Emergency Warden:
- Location of the fire, if known
- The condition of the floor’s fire exits and stairwells
- Any persons who refused to evacuate and the location of any disabled persons in Areas of Rescue Assistance.
- It is critical that the Evacuation Warden advise responding officials of the presence of any disabled persons remaining in the Areas of Rescue Assistance on their floor.
Office of Environmental Health and Safety / Fire Marshall
1. Assist in evacuation of the building and the ensure proper functioning of the building’s fire and life safety systems.
2. Make announcements as necessary to evacuees over the buildings fire alarm public address system (in high-rise buildings equipped with one).
3. After evacuation, provide support and assistance to Evacuation Wardens as needed.
4. Determine with Operations and Maintenance electronics technicians, the cause of the fire alarm.
5. Ensure that the fire alarm system, sprinkler system and other life safety systems have been returned to full operating condition.
6. Follow-up to mitigate false alarms, when possible.
7. Assist in fire investigate to determine the cause.
University Police / Security Guards
1. Control the evacuation of building occupants outside the building to the Evacuation Assembly Point by moving occupants across the street or down the sidewalk away from the building where the alarm is sounding.
2. Provide building occupants with updated information as the emergency situation progresses.
3. Direct and control vehicular traffic to protect emergency officials and evacuation personnel including fire department personnel.
4. Assist building Evacuation Wardens and the University Fire Marshal as needed to ensure evacuation of all building occupants.
5. Provide communications between the fire department and other University departments for needed resources.
6. Provide liaison with the fire department incident commander and assist with keys, communications, fire alarm and suppression equipment locations, and the location of activation within the building as needed. Assist the fire department as needed.
7. Prevent anyone from entering building not authorized to enter during fire Alarm.
8. Determine with the fire department when it is all clear for occupants to return to the building. Fire alarm and other life safety systems shall be operational before the all clear is given.
9. Notify occupants when it is safe to re-enter if told to do so by Fire department or the University Fire Marshal.
