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Seven of the most common mistakes with fire evacuation drills

First of all, there is not enough pre-planning for the fire drill. Best practice is to give at least three months’ advance notice of a fire evacuation drill to those responsible and to follow up with two discreet reminders to ensure business 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 uncommon to see people, coats on, hot drink in hand, waiting at reception minutes before the evacuation begins, this only wastes everyone’s time.

Second, current fire drill procedures are not reviewed. Are current fire procedures relevant and up-to-date? You need to consider if anything has changed, for example evacuation routes, number of employees, or risk assessment findings. If necessary, review and reissue your procedures well in advance of the fire drill. It will also help 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. Between yourselves, set a date that minimizes the inconvenience 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 visual or mobility disabilities. It is important that the evacuation drill thoroughly challenge your PEEP in place and the nominated 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 a non-disabled person to fill in to test PEEP. It is important that you do not allow anyone to remain in the building during the fire drill.

The fifth mistake is not treating a fire evacuation drill as an audit. When planning or improving your fire drill, the key is to view it as an audit. There need to be goals, a method, records, and reviews. The fire drill is not only a test of the evacuation strategy, but also a test of the effectiveness of those with special responsibilities, such as fire guards.

For this reason, it is best if as few people as possible are aware of the impending fire drill. A fire watch must be able to carry out their responsibilities, whether it be a drill, a false alarm, or an actual fire.

Failure to record the result may be the sixth error 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 drill
• minutes and seconds for a complete evacuation
• any other observation

The drill should have created no more than 15 to 30 minutes of minor annoyances. It is 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 evacuation performance. This should involve fire guards, security personnel, tenant representatives, and other affected parties. Make sure your comments cover both the positives and areas for improvement. When improvements are identified, the necessary steps 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 their continued support. If you need help planning or managing your fire evacuation drills, he is available; just ask.