Fire safety is vital in both commercial and residential buildings throughout London, acting as a critical safeguard against potential disasters that can endanger lives and devastate properties. The safety of your employees or tenants should be of utmost importance for any landlord or site manager; maintaining vigilance and safety is still important even with a decrease in fire occurrences reported by the government over the last ten years. As a trustworthy facilities management company with years of expertise guaranteeing the security and safety of all types of establishments, we understand the critical need to put strong fire safety procedures in place. We’ve compiled a list of points on how you can help the safety of your team and what to do in case of fire.

Taking Action: The Crucial First Steps 

First step is crucial! It is important to keep calm, to not panic, and the absolute first course of action is to activate the fire alarm. On strategic points in the building, evacuation plans are positioned, marking the escape routes, call points, fire doors, and your assembly point. Be sure you are familiar with these plans – they are not just decoration! Fire alarms can be triggered by manual call points or pull stations. In most buildings, the call points system is used – break the glass and push the button! That’s all; after that, the sirens in the building will start, alerting everyone to evacuate.

Who Should Raise the Alarm? 

It is the duty of anybody who finds a fire to sound the alarm right away. This guarantees that the fire evacuation procedures can be started right away and that the fire department is informed as soon as possible.

Where Should You Go in the Event of a Fire? 

When you hear the alarm, leave everything and proceed to the assembly point. As mentioned before, you can see where your assembly point is on the evacuation plan. The AP are usually located nearby but outside of the building. The evacuation plans are developed to provide a clear plan for the building. Follow the fire evacuation protocols to the designated assembly location. The secure exit route is designed to guide residents safely to a designated meeting place. Tenants can safely and efficiently evacuate by adhering to this approach, which helps them avoid any dangers, barriers, or blocked exits.

Beyond the Alarm: Additional Fire Safety Responsibilities 

Prioritise your fire safety during the evacuation over possessions and pets, and stay low if there is smoke. As you evacuate, provide help to anyone who might need it, such as elderly people or children or people who may have limited mobility. Shut the doors behind you to contain the flames. Fire doors normally are closing automatically, however, look behind to ensure it did. When clothing catches fire, lie down and roll to put it out rather than running. If you are unable to escape through a window, try to do so by utilising cushions to soften your fall. After you’re outside, give emergency authorities information about the fire and any people who may be trapped. Stay out of the building since this might complicate rescue operations and put lives at danger.

Fire Drills: The Importance of Preparation 

Depending on the type of the building, the frequency of fire drills can vary. However, it is a must to conduct them at least twice per year. Fire drills are required to keep employees effective and prepared for emergencies. Through fire safety training, employees and building occupants learn evacuation techniques, enabling them to respond calmly and quickly in the event of a real fire.

Fire drills are the best method to identify any gaps in the evacuation plans, as they allow observation of people’s reactions and their level of familiarity. In the end, having the best fire protection system is worth nothing if people cannot react effectively. Additionally, regular fire safety procedure sessions, extinguisher training, and awareness campaigns will help everyone understand the importance of their roles during emergencies.

What is a Roll Call Check-In System in Fire Evacuation? 

Roll Call is simply the method to ensure that all occupants escape the fire. The methodology of how to conduct it is decided by the facilities managers or other building management bodies. For example, let’s consider a building with an access control system. All occupants check in and out, and the receptionist always has an updated list of current occupants. Once the evacuation is over, the personnel responsible for roll call have the list of all people at that specific time. At the assembly point, they check attendance and have a clear list if there are missing personnel. This is another reason why it is important to go to your specific assembly point, and it serves as an example of how the access control system is not only for security protection. Another emergency response method is establishing pre-assigned check-in locations where people congregate and report to a designated staff person. 

Assessing the Fire: When to Evacuate 

The fire’s size might reveal information about its intensity and ability for quick spread. That means taking evacuation measures. For everyone’s safety, you must leave right away. When the alarm goes on, it is a signal to leave the area quickly and effectively. It is therefore imperative that you evacuate as soon as possible in the event of a fire emergency. Make sure everyone is safe and try to limit any possible damage.

What Size Fire is Too Big to Consider Tackling Yourself? 

Safety must always come first in the case of a fire. It’s better to stay away from attempting an independent large-scale fire extinguishment since it might be quite hazardous. Large-scale flames can be harmful. It is hard to contain without expert help because of its quick spread and high heat. A fire that spreads quickly via combustible objects or spreads to many rooms is beyond the capacity of a single person to contain. In these circumstances, it is imperative to leave as soon as possible to protect everyone’s safety. Always remember that your safety comes first, and give the authorities a call as soon as you can.

Prepare Yourself – Stay Safe!

Fire safety is the priority with which one must not take a risk. Never ignore a blinking light on your fire alarm dashboard and ensure that all of your tenants/employees/occupants participate in fire drills. Some of the most common issues we find during fire drills are people not following the correct evacuation route or bringing cups of coffee along. In addition to fire drills, we oversee the maintenance of fire protection equipment in the building. Our engineers will assess and provide guidance. We can protect passageways with fire doors and AOV systems, integrate sprinkler systems into old buildings, install fire extinguishers, and address any other deficiencies. Fire safety is a core value for us. This commitment is reflected in our approach to achieving and maintaining accreditations, which require adherence to rigorous fire safety standards.