Fire Evacuation Procedure

[Guest]

Does anyone have a copy of their emergency evacuation procedure that they would be willing to share? I mean something that is put up on the wall? Or if not a copy could you tell me what yours includes? (We look after children aged 0 to 5 in the same room).

 

Also my setting has introduced a red rope that all the children have to hold on to before they can go outside every day - do other people do this? If you have a rope do you allocate staff to then hold the front and back of the rope, with others checking the building etc? The rope is a bit of a pain really to do everyday although I suppose good practice if there was a fire.

[korkycat]

We also use a rope but have attached small palstic quoits for children to hang on to. This now works better as we have to leave garden and assemble at edge of scholl car park. The evacuation procedure is as follows:

2 blasts of whistle

Assemble at exit as directed by whistleblower who also collects phone/registerand contact details (kept together on shelf above main table)

children ushered out of building holding on to rings helped by 2 staff members

3rd staff member checks toilets

all assemble in carpark and count heads

We also have a laminated sheet on wall above main table which is used to keep an accurate count of those present in building. Changed as people arrive and leave - this gives us an immediate head count to check.

We practise using both our exits.

Takes us about 2.5 minutes to get 18 2 - 4's from whistle to assembly point.

Nerver had to do it in middle of nappy changing though!

Hope that helps

korkycat

[Inge]

ours was similar... practice using all exits at some time and when parents in building, we had one for parents on their noticeboard..

 

whistle + collect evacuation bag, which held register, phone, small first aid kit, contact details of all , etc etc.

all children go to door indicated by staff, (ours all held hands in one line... they were very used to moving around like that)

One staff at either end of line, and third did the checks of room

 

we gathered in a church porch for roll call/head count

 

also on the wall we had who was to call 999 or 112 , what to tell them about location of fire, eg address of building.. location of nearest land line phone in case mobile did not work..

 

 

and if we were not allowed back into the building we had contingency plans of where to take children until we could call for someone to collect them... ours was local primary school next door,

 

Inge

[Guest]

Thanks korkycat and Inge that's just the information I needed.

[louby loo]

We also have a copy of children's emergency details kept securely 'off site'.

Whereas in a fire drill you always collect the registers etc - in a genuine emergency like a fire I'm not sure you would be to bothered about picking it up!

 

xx

Edited June 14, 2009 by louby loo

[mrsbat]

we are very similar to the above, we have a different member of staff each month who is in charge of the fire drills, which means we have at least one a month, we all try and make sure we do one when something different is happening - for example when a nappy is being changed or when it is raining or children have no shoes on etc. we do occasionally let another member of staff know that we are going to do one and get them to stand in front of the "Usual" fire exit and say that you are unable to get out, that way the children get used to going out of a different exit - makes the staff think as well lol

 

I've attached the children's version of the drill, can't seem to find the adults one sorry

pschool_fire_drill.doc

[thumperrabbit]

We also use a rope but have attached small palstic quoits for children to hang on to.

 

 

As we are currently reviewing our evacuation procedures I came across this thread - Korkycat what are the plastic quoits that you use? We also use a rope but find it a bit of a nightmare, I'm sure if there really was a fire there's no way we would trying to get them all to hold on to it, but trying to get them to line up is equally manic!

 

Also does anybody know of any stories around this topic that is suitable for 2-4 year olds?

 

Any advice greatfully recieved as always

[sunnyday]

We also have a copy of children's emergency details kept securely 'off site'.

Whereas in a fire drill you always collect the registers etc - in a genuine emergency like a fire I'm not sure you would be to bothered about picking it up!

 

xx

Immediately after registration - our register which also contains emergency contact details - is put into our 'grab bag' together with the setting mobile, keys and a small first aid kit - the idea being that you would literally 'grab' this bag as you evacuate the building..................

[korkycat]

Hi Thumperrabbit (love your Avatar!)

Plastic rings came from very cheap hoopla sets that had all been broken by my little darlings. We have miles of strong grosgrain ribbon (donated from a local factory before it closed down) and threaded this through twist of rope and knotted securely to attach rings in pairs. It is now coiled around a wide cardboard tube and can be grabbed and pulled down untangled very easily (in fact had to raise it as taller children demonstrated how easily it came down!)

It works very well and keeps children at a sensible distance apart - when it was just rope it sometimes got a bit chaotic as they always seemed to be at one end only.

Hope that helps

korkycat

[thumperrabbit]

Thanks for that Korkycat - I'll have to look into the hoops!

 

We use the rope once outside to keep them contained in one area. A member of staff is at the front and one at the back of the rope and they join with the children inside the circle - Is that how you use it?

If so do you insist that the children all stand a certain side of it as they are lining up at the door?

[Rea]

Would you line up if there was a real fire? I like the sound of the rope but I'm not sure if its something you would use in a a real emergency.

Our drills always start with the alarm being sounded, a member of staff calls the children to whichever fire exit she's at with the rest of the staff helping/shepherding. As we go out one staff sweeps the toilet areas etc and then joins us outside. Staff coral the children and keep an eye on any who are new to it or known to be a bit quick.

The slowest drill we ever had was one where the children were still arriving, parents stopped to put their coats back on and collect drinks flasks, our time doubled!

[thumperrabbit]

Thats my point exactly Rea, we practiced a drill on Thurs without the rope we got out nearly 3 mins quicker, but the other staff felt that it was manic because the children just ran the moment the doors were opened.

Although I do like a previous reply about practicing everyday for a week - perhaps then they will get used to not running off!

[bubblejack]

We would also use a rope but only to walk to our evacuation point.

[Verona]

We have regular fire drills and use different doors to exit. We used to blow a whistle 3 times as a warning but the church have installed a manual alarm bell. I haven't seen one of these before - it's fixed to the wall about 5.6ft - 6ft from the floor - it has a handle and you have to wind it up. There is a clanger inside, it's really loud. We practised, using this new alarm bell and it only takes us 2 minutes to get to our place of safety. The children don't run they walk "sensibly" across to the church porchway and line up ready to be counted again - which I think it very good for 2 - 5 year olds.

 

We had a student a while ago when we were going to do a fire drill. She had already been shown the fire drill on the notice board a few weeks before. I reminded her of the procedure - explaining that her role was to do a general sweep of the hall before leaving. I don't always let the staff know exactly when the alarm will go off but the student approached me a few minutes after I had spoken to her and asked where we kept the broom. I told her where it was and then asked why she needed it because I couldn't see anywhere that needed to be swept. She said in a slightly exasperated tone "Well, youv'e just asked me to do a sweep of the hall, I wanted to make sure I knew where the broom was kept before the alarm went off!!"

 

I now realise that I mustn't make that statement again to anyone as it might be interpreted literally!!!!

 

 

Sue J

[thumperrabbit]

Oh Sue J that's priceless!!

Did that student make it another day???!!!

[Guest]

Hi I have recently taken over as Manager of a nursery. They dont have an evacuation bag. I know what i would but in one but in case I forget anything would any of you please be willing to share with me what you have in yours? We take from 3 months to school age and play scheme in the school hols, so I am thinking 2 bags.

Many thanks

 

[Guest]

Not sure I would hang around making sure they had got hold of a rope I would just want to go

Our children walk out, walk back because that's what we have always done

Edited August 19, 2014 by Suer

[MegaMum]

This is ours

FIRE EVACUATION PROCEDURE.docx

[playgroup1]

We call ours an emergency evacuation because it also covers things like a gas leak. We also had to think about arranging somewhere to go in case we couldn't go back in the building. We managed to arrange to get a key so we could go into the church and wait there for parents to collect children.

[Fredbear]

Yes we have our local park, and in inclement/ adverse weather our local primary school.

We did have to evacuate due to a gas leak last year at a home two doors down from our provision.

Have to say it went very well, and shows doing the fire drill practising regularly is paramount.

Our grab n go bag as we call it, has meds, med register, registers, with contact details and our mob phone in.

That said if we couldn't even get to that, you would just get out surely.

Let's hope we never have to do it for real.

[Mouseketeer]

Ours seem to work very well. Pretty much same as others do, children are always v.good at standing outside in a group and answering register....though how's it's going to go with more 2 year olds I dred to think I don't take a 'bag' though, just grab the register ( which also has contracts).

 

I do have a laminated picture of flames that I randomly stick in places and the first member of staff that sees it has to call fire drill, so I'm not always the one calling it.

[sunnyday]

 

I do have a laminated picture of flames that I randomly stick in places and the first member of staff that sees it has to call fire drill, so I'm not always the one calling it.

oooh - I'm going to 'nick' that idea - cool!