Assesing Potential Incapabilites to evacuate

[UtahProtectionForce]

Hey all, I am curious how many of you all have actually taken the time to examine potential escape routes offered by your work enviorments in case one exit point become blocked, also if you have considered making a list, if your client has not provided one, which i find most dont do, which they should imo, as you may have deaf, blind, or wheel chair or bed chair bound people in your place of work. Esp if in corprate office or residental community, i have found that 9 times out of 10 there is no information on this, and on the few sites that do given you information, it is generally only a list with names on it and phone numbers, however i think we as security officers should take the time to locate these individuals locations ie. which cubical on which floor, what aparment etc) because in case of emergency when the fire or police department ask do you have and disabled persons in you facility that need proirity evacuation, coould you answer and if they said what should be thier location could you tell them ?


I think this is one thing that alot of security officers over look, as i have worked high rise, residental, commerical, construction, movie sites, and events. and most of the time the officers already on the facility should know this information but when i ask are there any disable persons in the building we should worry about in case of emergency and they say I dont know..........

[craig333]

Totally screwed there. Being a medical building there are disabled people all over the place. Its something I have thought of. Of course I"ve received no training on what to do. At least the fire department has about a two minute response time.

[HotelSecurity]

Hey all, I am curious how many of you all have actually taken the time to examine potential escape routes offered by your work enviorments in case one exit point become blocked, also if you have considered making a list, if your client has not provided one, which i find most dont do, which they should imo, as you may have deaf, blind, or wheel chair or bed chair bound people in your place of work. Esp if in corprate office or residental community, i have found that 9 times out of 10 there is no information on this, and on the few sites that do given you information, it is generally only a list with names on it and phone numbers, however i think we as security officers should take the time to locate these individuals locations ie. which cubical on which floor, what aparment etc) because in case of emergency when the fire or police department ask do you have and disabled persons in you facility that need proirity evacuation, coould you answer and if they said what should be thier location could you tell them ?


I think this is one thing that alot of security officers over look, as i have worked high rise, residental, commerical, construction, movie sites, and events. and most of the time the officers already on the facility should know this information but when i ask are there any disable persons in the building we should worry about in case of emergency and they say I dont know..........

The room #, date of check-out & type of handicap is written on a piece of paper & stuck on the fire alarm panel beside the Telephone Operator at my downtown hotel everytime a handicapped person checks in.

[HotelSecurity]

At least the fire department has about a two minute response time.

Don't count on this. I witnessed a woman junping out of a window with flames at her back ACROSS THE STREET from a fire station. They were out on another call. It was 5 stories high. I preformed CPR but she did not survive.

[OccamsRazor]

That's one thing I like about where I work now. Each floor of the building has floor wardens, employees who take responsibility for their area of each floor...There are also at least two back-up wardens in case someone is out sick. The few people we have who can't evacuate due to disabilities are each assigned one or two volunteers who assist them in 'Protecting in Place" in designated sheltering areas on each floor. The lead warden is also repsonsible for confirming building evac and PIP sheltering...All we really do is assist with traffic flow

We also have a vast majority of the employees/contractors trained in first aid/CPR and a staffed in-house medical office with several doctors and nurses, and the local FD headquarters station is 15 seconds away.

All of us guards are also trained/certified in First Aid, CPR and AED. One is also an EMT (NR), and one is a former Ranger medic.

[Maelstrom]

Totally screwed there. Being a medical building there are disabled people all over the place. Its something I have thought of. Of course I"ve received no training on what to do. At least the fire department has about a two minute response time.

I'm not familiar with the US experience on in-house fire training, but here all medical staff must complete a competency exercise once a year along with CPR & appropriate lifting techniques.

Each department/nursing unit would have it's own specific procedure (which would incorporate into the big picture), but seeing as you work the building perhaps you should/could attend one of these in-service sessions?

Primarily it's common sense, detailing immediate evacuation (everyone from a specific area to the other side of a fire door), and total unilateral evac' where you assess an individual's potential to move and leave the most immobile till last (as they require more manpower to relocate), working from the top floor down

[craig333]

Be interesting to talk to the nurses, see if they have a plan. Pointless to talk to building management. I"m sure they'll get out just fine. I am glad I have a fire background, if its possible I'll do what I can to make sure no one needs to be evacuated.

And the patrons complain about how slow and overcrowded the elevators are now. Just wait till the panic sets in.

[NRM_Oz]

My 1st week with a client had the evac alarm go off on a Friday afternoon. I naturally followed my training and ran into a female idiot with her red hard hat. She was reading the evac orders from the book and as people walked past I directed them to the fire exit. She stops to tell me she is in charge as I have never attended their 1 hr training. I continues reading and I sweep the floor as I meet her again and tell her the floor is clear. She abuses me and I lose it telling her if she did not leave the floor now she would go out the window. Outside she abuses me for not following her orders when I am handed my Chief Emergency Commander vest. She suddenly shuts ups.

During another evac on a Monday, 1 fire exit was blocked by chairs and tables from the cafe who were re-tiling the floor over the weekend. I pushed with the building owners to have them charged as this was a real fire that could have cost lives - so always expect the unexpected.

At another contract, the evac alarms activated and we all lined up to use the fire exits. There was mass panic with screaming, crying and alot of shoving. 1 tiny girl in her red hard hat trying to control the crowd when I spotted trouble with 2 men fighting to get out the door. I stepped forward and shouted "STOP !!!". A few direct orders of helping each other and the panic stopped. At a debrief I was invited to comment when I suggested a few male wardens would help and asked how many of the 1st aiders walked out with their 1st aid kits ? I had blank stares from everyone.

Training is good - if people can take it seriously and those in charge can actually be in charge and not stand their dressed like fans of the VIllage People in concert.

[Lawson]

I have planned in my mind, multiple scenarios where we may need to move people. I have considered lockdowns, escapes, fires, active shooters, etc...

We have a lot of access/egress points here which is a benefit for getting people out, but a drawback for things such as a lockdown. We have a lot of glass patio area that leads right into the patient care areas.

I'll probably talk to the bosses about it eventually, once I can come up with better plans.

[Maelstrom]

My 1st week with a client had the evac alarm go off on a Friday afternoon. I naturally followed my training and ran into a female idiot with her red hard hat. She was reading the evac orders from the book and as people walked past I directed them to the fire exit.

Most fire evacuation plans have the default fire area warden as the most senior member of staff, usually the Unit manger, Charge Nurse OR Associate Charge Nurse (in the case of hospitals)... under a worst case scenario that could also be a casual/call on RN not acquainted with the area

In such situations policy SHOULD dictate that the most senior member of permanent staff is delegated as fire area warden, sadly AFAIK this is not the case in most hospital emergency plans

At a debrief I was invited to comment when I suggested a few male wardens would help and asked how many of the 1st aiders walked out with their 1st aid kits ? I had blank stares from everyone.

That could prove difficult as nursing remains predominantly a female career path (despite it being an accepted male occupation since the 1970's), gender aside... wardens who know how to wield authority and inspire confidence should be the priority