Fire Prevention

Do not accumulate quantities of discarded files or other paper trash in your office or storage area. Pay special attention to housekeeping in those departments that produce quantities of debris, such as duplication machines, mailing and receiving rooms.

Do not store large quantities of flammable solvents, duplicating fluids, or other combustible fluids.

Keep electrical appliances in good repair. Report any unsafe conditions to the Property Management Office.

When furnishing an office, consider the fire potential of materials used in large amounts, like overstuffed chairs, settees, couches or anything that could become a combustible item. Such furnishings should be flame proofed.

Where potential for fire is especially high, such as supply rooms, tenants may wish to consider installing additional fire extinguishers.

General Information

The building must be evacuated when a fire alarm signal is sounded. An effective evacuation depends on the orderly ‘phasing’ of floor clearance, which means that the emergency floor is evacuated first and immediately. The next floor to evacuate should be the floor above the emergency floor, followed by the floor below. The property manager will be in charge of the evacuation until the fire chief arrives.

Each tenant office manager or supervisor must predetermine priorities for the safety of records, classified material and/or securities. Supervisors also must cooperate with tenant wardens to ensure that all employees are well-informed and instructed on evacuation procedures.

Procedure

1. The person who discovers the fire:
   • Dials 911 and reports the fire to the fire department.
   • Activates the fire alarm pull station (FAPS).
   • Calls the Property Management Office at (210) 225-4000 or Service Desk at (210) 225-1010 to report the location of the fire.
2. The Property Management Office contacts the fire floor warden, the floor wardens directly above and below the fire floor and the evacuation brigade.
3. The floor wardens contact the tenant wardens, searchers and monitors and special assistants assigned to their floor. In addition, the floor wardens assume full control of their floor and activate the Emergency Preparedness and Evacuation Plan.
4. The tenant wardens and searchers go into immediate action. Absolute silence and decorum must prevail for maximum effectiveness.
5. Special assistants immediately contact and help their assigned person. Persons requiring special assistance wait for help from their special assistant.
6. The stairway and elevator monitors go to their stations and perform their assigned duties.
7. Members of the evacuation brigade go to their stations and perform their assigned duties.
8. The floor warden, under instructions from the property management office, orders the fire floor to evacuate. As soon as the occupants of the fire floor have reached a safe level of descent in the stairways, stairway monitors signal the adjacent floors immediately above and below the fire floor to evacuate.
9. All elevators are called to the ground floor and put on manual control. The evacuation brigade promptly clears the ground floor lobbies by directing all people outside to avoid lobby congestion.
10. As each floor is evacuated, the stairway monitors make sure all stairway doors are closed after the last person evacuates the floor.
11. Floor wardens distribute the flow of people evenly via all available stairway exits.
    • If a stairway is filled with smoke or on fire, the alternate stairway can be reached via cross-over through the closest tenant floor.
    • Each stairway designated as an evacuation stairway is identified by signs on the inside and outside of the door at eye level. When floor wardens report to the security desk on any condition, they must refer to their location as evacuation stairway.
12. The orderly phasing of floor clearance continues until all occupants are evacuated to the outside safety/reassembly area, which is located no less than 300 feet from the building.
13. When the “all clear” is announced, the evacuation brigade signals the floor wardens to lead the employees in an orderly fashion back to their work places. If available, elevators will be back in service. The evacuation brigade coordinates the loading of the elevator cars to prevent over-crowding. Single floor groups should enter an elevator together.
14. The intermittent Alarm Signal is silenced when the “all clear” is announced. (The alarm signal continues throughout the state of emergency.)

NOTE: Upon arrival, the fire chief is in charge.

Tenant Responsibilities

Searchers

1. Check all rooms and remote areas including restrooms and conference rooms. Close doors behind you to isolate the fire.
2. Be cautious when opening doors so as not to spread the fire. Touch any door to see if it is hot before opening.
3. Advise any remaining personnel on the floor of the emergency and ensure their evacuation.
4. Evacuate any non-employees from the floor and check reception area and elevator lobby.

Special Assistants (to aid persons requiring assistance)

1. Evacuate persons requiring assistance.
2. If necessary, ensure persons requiring assistance are carried by their assigned assistants. Wheelchairs should be left behind.

Stairway Monitors

1. Take a position at your assigned stairway and assist in the evacuation of personnel.
2. Inspect stairwells before and after evacuation of personnel.
3. Instruct personnel to form a single line into the stairwell and direct personnel to exit along the right side of the stairway.
4. Calmly supervise and monitor evacuation flow.
5. Stay at the exit until searchers have cleared all personnel from the floor.
6. For stairwell monitors stationed near elevators, MAKE SURE PERSONNEL DO NOT USE ELEVATORS DURING EVACUATION.

Elevator Monitors

1. Direct employees to the nearest stairway.
2. Know the location of all evacuation stairways.
3. Remain at your designated post until the floor warden instructs you to evacuate.
4. MAKE SURE PERSONNEL DO NOT USE ELEVATORS DURING EVACUATION.

Floor Wardens

1. Direct the evacuation of the floor in accordance with the directions received from the management office and the following guidelines:
   • Utilize tenant wardens to ensure that all occupants are notified of the fire and immediately execute the Emergency Preparedness and Evacuation Plan.
   • Know where all persons requiring assistance are located and keep an up-to-date list. These persons may need special assistance in the event of evacuation.
   • Select the safest stairwell to use for evacuation on the basis of the location of the fire and any information received from the fire chief and/or security desk attendant.
2. Before anyone enters the stairwell to evacuate, check the environment in the stairwell. If it is affected by smoke, select an alternate stairwell and notify the Service Desk (225-1010).
3. Please keep the Service Desk informed of the means being employed for evacuation by the occupants of your floor and other pertinent information.

Tenant Wardens

1. Assist the floor warden in the effective implementation of the Emergency Preparedness and Evacuation Plan.
2. Ensure the evacuation of all occupants within your tenant space.
3. In the absence of the floor warden, assume the full duties and responsibilities of the floor warden position.

Assistant Tenant Wardens

1. Assist the tenant warden in the effective implementation of the Emergency Preparedness and Evacuation Plan.
2. In the absence of the tenant warden, assume the full duties and responsibilities of the tenant warden position.

Building Staff Responsibilities

Property Manager

1. Report to the lobby/service desk to supervise, coordinate and ensure that:
   • The fire department has been notified of any fire or fire alarm.
   • All elevators have been called to the ground floor.
   • The fire department is given all emergency keys
   • Evacuation procedures are followed as outlined in the Emergency Preparedness and Evacuation Plan.
   • The fire department chief-in-charge is advised of the operation of the fire command station.
   • The conditions on the fire floor are reported to the fire department.

Building Engineer

1. Report to the fire control room to assist the property manager to effect implementation of the Emergency Preparedness and Evacuation Plan.
2. In the absence of the property manager, assume the full duties and responsibilities of that position.
3. Provide the fire department and police department with building information (floor plans, blueprints, etc.) as requested.

Evacuation Brigade (remaining building staff)

1. Upon the receipt of a fire alarm, ensure that a designated member of the team:
   • Reports to the lobby level of the evacuation stairway to direct tenants and control the movement of occupants.
   • Reports to fire command station to verify the alarm area, and provides information to assistant safety evacuation director.
   • Reports to security desk to communicate with Floor wardens, tenant wardens and tenants, and provides information to the safety evacuation director.
   • Reports to main pump room to assist fire department.
   • Is prepared to direct the fire department to the fire location and to inform them of conditions.

 

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