Handbook

Fire Procedures

  1. NOTIFY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY, DIAL 911
  2. NOTIFY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OFFICE -  904.620.0876
  3. FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
    a.      A Tenant should not attempt to fight a major fire on his/her own.  It is best to let properly trained individuals fight a fire.
    b.     If the fire is very small (i.e., papers burning in a wastebasket), the use of a fire extinguisher may suffice in controlling the danger.  REMEMBER:  Even in the case of a small fire, PLEASE ALWAYS notify the Property Management Office at your first opportunity.
  4. SUGGESTIONS FOR TENANT SPACE EVACUATIONS

 COMMUNICATION CHAIN

During an evacuation, the objective is to provide the greatest level of safety possible in the shortest period of time.  A key element in accomplishing this objective is the "communication chain" by which information and instructions can flow to and from the building occupants.  They are:

  • Property Management personnel:  This is the focal point of coordination and communication until such time as emergency personnel assume responsibility.
  •  Emergency personnel:  Members of the Police Department, Fire Department, or other public agencies who take responsibility for the immediate emergency.
  • Tenant Representative(s):  These individuals will act as supervisors for their companies' space or any one floor during an emergency situation.  They will receive and dispatch information and instructions relating to a given emergency, and oversee the evacuation of all personnel in that space.
  • Occupants:  All occupants should follow their representative's instructions in an orderly fashion.

All levels in the communications chain should have a back up in case one "link" is not present.

 

ACTUAL EVACUATION

Modern buildings are constructed to meet emergency situations with minimal impact.  Many emergencies will be contained in a local area, making it unnecessary, in many cases, to evacuate an entire building.  Thus, any evacuation will most likely take place in stages, starting with the emergency area and working away from it.

When an emergency situation exists within a building, a "rule of thumb" used is to place a minimum of two (2) floors between the area in danger and the individuals being evacuated.  Although we tend to think of an evacuation as leaving the building, in certain types of emergencies it may be safer to evacuate to higher floors in the building as opposed to the street exit.  This depends on the nature of the emergency as well as conditions at the time.

If it is determined that an area, floor, or multiple floors be evacuated, the following steps should be initiated:

Pertinent information and relocation instructions will be communicated to the Tenant representative/warden by the quickest means available.  They in turn will quickly notify any occupants in an evacuation.

  •  The representative should be stationed at each Tenant's exit to direct evacuees to a stairwell or safe locations, making sure the evacuation proceeds in a quiet, orderly fashion.
  • After verifying that all personnel have been evacuated, the representative will report to the Emergency Personnel, and then proceed to the "safe" location.
  • The representatives should be the last persons to leave their space after making a final inspection to ensure that all personnel have been evacuated.  Upon arrival at the safe location, the representatives shall maintain calm and quiet among their personnel and await further instructions from the Emergency Personnel.
  • During an evacuation, some general policies that should be observed are

At all times, maintain a calm, quiet, steady exit.

Keep conversation to a minimum.

Exit by the nearest available stairwell.  Care should be taken to determine if this exit is involved in the emergency and thus inappropriate to use.  DO NOT USE ELEVATORS unless otherwise notified by emergency personnel.

Care should be taken not to interfere with Emergency Services Personnel.