Fire and Emergency Procedures Kooyong Emergency Wardens 2009

Fire and Emergency Procedures - Kooyong Emergency Wardens 2009

Emergency Warden Allocate tasks to others while remaining aware of what’s going on. Role: l Coordinates the code on a departmental basis – organises the response l Communicate with the Chief Warden / Emergency Services l Informs Emergency Coordinator current status in department l Coordinates the Departmental Evacuations l 2 Way communication

Emergency Warden Take charge – you have the authority Leadership behaviours that the Emergency Warden will need to display; l Clear & reassuring orders l Dealing with people's special needs l Keeping order, reducing and avoiding panic l Assessing the situation and providing an effective response l Understanding that stress can affect performance and the ability to act

Emergency Warden If an occupant or employee refuses to comply with the directions given by a member of the Emergency Control Team: 1. Advise the person that they are required to evacuate the building/area because of an emergency situation that may be life threatening. 2. Notify the Chief Warden, who will advise the Officer-in -Charge of the attending Emergency Service. 3. Don’t waste time on them – you have many other people to worry about

Raising the Alarm l How do we raise the alarm?

Alarm – Alert Tone l Alert tone – Beep – sounds like a truck reversing Prepare for evacuation Assemble all persons at internal assembly area Check the area for signs of an emergency Communicate with Chief warden l Note: The Fire Brigade wont be on their way until 000 is called or a break glass alarm activated

Alarm – Evacuation Tone l Evacuate tone – sounds like Woop Evacuate people from the building Search the area to ensure everyone is out Keep people together at the external assembly area l Kooyong – Fire bell at reception, Fire Brigade will arrive there

Affected Area l Ensure that the alarm has been raised l Organise staff to respond to the emergency, eg; Evacuate anyone in immediate danger to safety Close doors to stop fire / smoke spreading Prepare to evacuate l Give the Chief Warden a report on the situation / request assistance l Proceed with evacuation if required l Search / Check that everyone is accounted for

Non Affected Areas l Ensure all persons assemble at the internal assembly point l Send a staff member to check all areas of the department and come back to report to you l Be prepared to send staff to assist at the affected area l Coordinate evacuation if required – report completion to Chief Warden l Conduct a thorough search of the area l Conduct roll call at other end of evacuation – report anyone missing to the coordinator

Chief Warden Role: l Is in charge during the emergency l Remains at the Emergency Control Centre throughout the duration of the emergency (unless instructed by the Emergency Services) l Communicates with all parties during a code via the phones / PA l Allocates resources l Liaises with the Emergency Services l Is the only person authorised to call an ALL CLEAR

Warden Equipment l Chief Warden - White Helmet l Emergency Wardens - Red Helmet l Telephones l Emergency Ready Reference Guide l Emergency Procedures manual

Communication l Exact location of the incident l Type of incident l Hazards present l Access to site l Number and type of casualties l Emergency services present and required Request for assistance 2 Way communication – with staff – to Coordinator

Communication l Warden to advise the coordinator Location and extent of emergency The present situation What actions have been taken Any request for assistance Other relevant information What are our communication systems?

Phones l Emergency Ready Reference Guide has the phone numbers for the emergency phones l Including the number for the Emergency Control Centre (Fire panel in the Plaza) l Area having the emergency will make / receive the most contact with the chief warden l Others may just get the Alert or Evacuate tone

Searching l Conduct a search of the department to locate source of the emergency eg, smoke detector activated. l Conduct a search after evacuation to ensure everyone is out l Conduct a headcount before and after evacuation l Searching for a bomb Supervisor’s search General search

Searching

Searching

Workplace Induction l Workplace Induction How do we induct new staff into the department?

Fire / Smoke -The Basics Remove anyone from danger Alarm – raise it Close the doors Evacuate Fire prevention / preparedness?

Fire / Smoke -The Basics Get people out of danger Raise the alarm Stop the fire from getting out of control • Close doors Follow Chief warden instructions

Fire Prevention l Electrical safety l Storage of flammable / combustible materials / chemicals l Training and Awareness l Safety Inspection Checklist l Fire escapes & corridors must be kept clear at all times, corridors kept as clear as possible l Controlling smoking

WHAT ACTIONS DO PEOPLE TAKE DURING A FIRE? l Fires often result from ‘unremarkable’ events such as cooking; many fire victims are surprised and unprepared once a fire starts l People will often finish an activity prior to investigating a fire cue or evacuating l Less than half of the fire victims evacuated the premises immediately l Most fire victims use garden hoses rather than fire blankets and extinguishers during a fire l Few fire victims contact the MFB immediately l Fire victims often call the MFB once they are unable to control the fire l Most fire victims made on-the-spot decisions throughout their fire incidents rather than following a pre-plan

WHAT INFLUENCES PEOPLE’S BEHAVIOUR? l Fire victims who did follow a pre-plan mentioned that their decision was based on fire brigade education l People often underestimate the danger of fire, especially in their home l The main influence on behaviour during the fire situation was the protection of either the home or household members l People are more likely to respond to clear or easily identifiable fire cues such as flames, rather than smoke, smell or noise l The majority of fire victims made on-the-spot decisions influenced by the type of fire situation that unfolded or due to a lack of pre-planned decisions l Stress may impact on an individual’s ability to react appropriately to fire in some cases l Few fire victims felt confident throughout the entire fire incident

Before the Fire Brigade Gets Here l All people removed from immediate danger – ie evacuated and searched l Fire is contained – doors closed l Report made to Chief Warden about the situation

Housekeeping l Fire escapes clear l Corridors clear l Smoke / fire doors not obstructed l Extinguishers / hose reels not obstructed l Store the minimum amount of flammable and combustible materials

Decision to Evacuate l Where people’s safety is in danger – the warden is empowered to make the decision to evacuate – then tell the Chief Warden what you’re doing If in doubt - evacuate l You may receive an instruction to evacuate from the coordinator, or the evacuation tone

Evacuation Options 1. Immediate area 2. Horizontal 3. Vertical 4. Outside 5. Protect in place

Evacuation Fastest Way to Evacuate People l First – Ambulant (can walk unaided) l Second – Semi ambulant (need assistance to walk) l Third – Non ambulant (cant walk unaided) l A good idea to have one sighted person in front and one behind

Assembly Points l 1 st Glenferrie Rd – near car park l 2 nd Talbot Crescent l 3 rd Cricket Pavilion l Check that everyone is accounted for l Keep people’s spirits up - communicate

Fire Brigade Rescue Methods

Good Evacuation l l l l l Ensured alarm was raised Evacuated people from the immediate area Attended phone Warden instructed / delegated to staff quickly and – didn’t get too involved Evacuated ambulant, semi ambulant, non ambulant Closed doors Blocked off lift / corridors Staff reported what was going on back to the warden Put on hat Conducted comprehensive search once people evacuated

Not So Good Evacuation l Initial action was standing around not doing anything l Didn’t raise the alarm l Didn’t pick up phone l Warden trying to do everything while other staff standing nearby l Wheelchair obstructing fire escape l Didn’t conduct search after evacuation l Forgot to put hat on l Didn’t report back to Chief Warden once evacuation complete

A Good Evacuation l Orderly l Thorough search carried out to ensure all persons evacuated l Any required actions taken eg close doors l Report made to Chief Warden

Internal Emergency l Examples of internal emergencies: failure of water flood electricity illegal occupancy medical gases person trapped in lift communication hazardous substances spill ventilation systems damage to internal structures

Internal Emergency - The Basics l Is it an emergency or should you call Facilities? l Main Points Remove people from danger Raise the alarm Reduce the impact Stop more people coming involved Communicate – get help to rectify Get department back to normal

Security / Intruder l Obey the offender’s instructions l Raise the alarm l Evacuate the immediate area l Keep additional people out of the area l Take note of the person’s appearance ie. height, weight, age, clothing, speech, accent, hair l Use “Offender Description” Form

Security / Intruder l Put distance between yourself and the aggressor l Put yourself between exit and the aggressor l Remove yourself from the situation as soon as safely possible l Talk in a non threatening manner l Do only what is directed, nothing more l Raise the alarm l Good communication, acting politely and professionally and not over reacting has been shown to be the best course of action

Bomb Threat – The Basics l Have Bomb Threat Checklist filled in l Search for suspicious item l No one to touch suspicious items l Evacuate immediate area l Raise the alarm – tell Chief Warden l Leave doors open l Mobile phones

Suspicious Packages A suspect item will generally have two of the following recognition points, but may have one or none l Excessive securing material l Xcessive weight l Protruding wires or foil l Lopsided or unevenly weighted l Oily stains or discolouration l Stiff or rigid envelope l Proper names and titles not used l Is the package expected l Addresses handwritten or poorly typed l Visual distractions l Restrictive markings “confidential” l Excessive Postage l Common words missspelt l Either unusual or foreign mail l Lacks address of sender

Suspicious Packages If you find or receive a suspicious item DO l Isolate the article – stop people from entering the area l Evacuate the immediate area l Alert the Chief warden l Try to confirm origin Do Not l Attempt to open l Immerse in water l Place in confined space l Transport through congested areas

Bomb Threat Checklist l When is the bomb going to explode? l Where did you put the bomb? l When did you put it there? l What does the bomb look like? l What kind of bomb is it? l What will make the bomb explode? l Did you place the bomb? l Why did you place the bomb? l What is your name? l Where are you? l What is your address?

Medical Emergency l Check for danger l Raise the alarm, call reception or 000 l Obtain first aid assistance l Direct ambulance officers to the scene

External Emergency l Notify Chief Warden l Advise staff of required actions l If required prepare to evacuate l Follow Chief Warden’s instructions

After the Emergency l Get department back to normal running as quickly as possible l Debriefing – our EAP provider, CRS can provide professional debriefing l The warden should ensure that staff who might need it are identified and included

After the Emergency l Stress l In emergencies, people can use up more emotional energy than they realise. l Breaking the stress cycle Step 1. Recognise you are stressed. Step 2. Make a decision to break the stress cycle. Step 3. Reduce stress activities. Step 4. Increase relaxation and positive activities.

Breaking the Stress Cycle Physical l Do regular rhythmic physical exercise such as walking, swimming, cycling. l Make an effort to reduce or at least not to increase your intake of stimulants such as alcohol, tobacco and sugar as they keep the stress cycle going. l Eat regular, well balanced meals even if they are small. Relationships l Keep regular contact with people you like to be with. l Ask for help when you need it, many people enjoy giving help. l Make time to be with your family or friends. l Talk to people you trust about yourself and what is happening so you can get it into perspective.

Breaking the Stress Cycle Relaxation l Do regular relaxation exercises such as deep breathing, listening to quiet music, meditation. l Do something about bodily tension such as massage or exercises. l Rest regularly, even if you can only do it for a short time. l Try to find something that will make you laugh sometimes. Attitudes l Accept that it will take time to get out of the stress cycle and keep trying. l Be careful of accidents; concentration and judgement may be impaired under stress. l Try to be organised and efficient

Incident Report l An incident report should be filled in for all incidents and emergencies l This will help us to assess what happened and make recommendations to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence

From Here l Maintain awareness of our procedures l Emergency Ready Reference Guide l Emergency Procedures Manual