Fire evacuation

Evacuation of people during a fire

An emergency, particularly a fire, in a building with a large crowd of people can cost dozens of lives. That is why, when calculating fire risks and designing fire safety systems, special attention is paid to evacuation routes.

What is evacuation?

Evacuation is an organized process of moving people out of the zone of exposure to hazardous fire factors. In modern buildings, such as shopping and entertainment centers, sports complexes, office buildings, and other similar facilities, evacuation in the event of a fire is of increased importance. Fires in such facilities often develop rapidly. In places with large crowds of people, the real danger in an emergency is the emergence of panic, chaotic movements, and stampedes at the exits of the building.

How to organize the evacuation of people in a fire alarm situation?

The organization of timely and proper evacuation in case of a life threat is laid down at the design stage of the facility. During operation, the condition of evacuation routes and the operability of engineering systems ensuring the implementation of evacuation plans are monitored. To ensure the process of safe exit of people from the building, it is important to consider the following factors:

• possible speed of movement;
• number of available evacuation exits and safe zones;
• throughput capacity of exits;
• options and length of travel routes;
• safety of routes
• possibility of separating travel routes from zones and premises with increased fire hazard.

Stages of exiting the building

In the first stage, people leave the internal premises. The second stage is choosing a path to the exit. In high-rise buildings, the following order of actions is adopted: the floor where the fire occurred is evacuated first, then people from the floor above and below are led out, then from the remaining floors, starting from the upper ones. The third stage refers to floors located above the first. The fourth stage is moving people to a safe distance from the burning building.

Actions of personnel

For service personnel of facilities where more than 50 people can be present simultaneously, instructions are developed in case of fire. Actions in case of fire at each specific facility may differ, but the general sequence is always the same:

• Upon detecting signs of fire, personnel must notify the fire service.
• Notify everyone nearby about the fire. It is mandatory to inform management and officials about the situation.
• At a certain level of threat, organize the evacuation of people. Counteract the spread of panic.
• Proceed to extinguish the fire with primary fire extinguishing means.
• If there is a threat to health and life, personnel must leave the building.