The LWF Blog

Fire Engineering Design and Risk Assessment – Fire Safety Management – Part 32

June 8, 2020 12:44 pm

In LWF’s Fire Engineering blog series for Architects and others involved in building design, we have been looking at those activities of a company which can be classed as fire safety management. In part 31, LWF discussed evacuation management including horizontal evacuation, fire alarm systems and members of the public. In part 32, we will look at the efficient management of a fire emergency.

Fire emergency planning can include consideration of the following main areas:

– Action on discovery of a fire
– Warning and evacuation signals
– Alerting the Fire Service and giving of appropriate information
– Initiation of evacuation
– Firefighting and other staff activities
– Evacuation procedures
– Meeting the Fire Service on arrival and providing information
– Evacuation completion
Other potential areas for fire emergency planning include:
– Environmental protection
– Security
– Salvage
– Damage Control
– Protecting the building contents
– Protecting the building fabric
– Recording lessons learned

Although fire emergency planning should be completed for a specific building, it is possible to have a structure around which to base the plan.

The plan should refer to each of these elements and detail how each point will be accomplished.

– Operate the fire alarm system and alert employees or selected employees and any control room to the emergency.
– Call the Fire Service.
– Establish the location of the fire and apparent severity and assess.
– Undertake full evacuation or determine other actions based on fire location and severity.
– Undertake firefighting or fire containment actions if appropriate and safe to do so.
– Assist people with PEEPS (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans) in putting their plan into action and assist those persons using temporary refuges.
– Ensure all evacuated persons assemble at a point of safety and are accounted for. If any person is missing, the Fire Service must be informed on their arrival.
– Do not allow any person to re-enter the building.
– Upon Fire Service arrival, offer every assistance and all information that may assist in their duties.
– Implement any pre-planned procedures in relation to care for those persons evacuated, salvage, environmental protection etc.
– Initiate the recovery process.

In part 33, LWF will continue on management of a fire emergency by considering other planning issues an organisation may need to address. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this blog, or wish to discuss your own project with one of our fire engineers, please contact us.

Lawrence Webster Forrest has been working with their clients for over 25 years to produce innovative and exciting building projects. If you would like further information on how LWF and fire strategies could assist you, please contact the LWF office on 0800 410 1130.

While care has been taken to ensure that information contained in LWF’s publications is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of this information.