Fire and Emergency Evacuation Drills

An essential element of any fire safety plan is the emergency evacuation drill, commonly called a fire drill.?Without making the effort to train and rehearse employees on their responsibilities and actions in case of fire or other emergency, the lives of many people – members, guests, and employees may be at risk.

The challenge for clubs is that the facility use patterns are very different for various parts of the club and for different times of the day and week.?The evacuation issues at the golf course maintenance facility or aquatics center are far different than the clubhouse; and a clubhouse evacuation on a Tuesday morning will have far different concerns than a busy Saturday night.

Add to this is the disruption of member service and enjoyment of their club by scheduling frequent evacuation drills or holding such drills when members are dining and guests are attending a large and expensive wedding.?Clearly, evacuation drills must be held, but they must be carefully planned and executed to provide full safety value with the minimum disruption to member and guest activities.?So, what strategies would meet both requirements??Here are some thoughts:

Invite the local fire department to visit the club and make recommendations of the club’s fire safety planning and emergency evacuation procedures.?Most fire departments would be delighted by the club’s proactive interest and would provide a wide array of helpful tips on fire safety planning and potential areas of concern within the club.?

Hold quarterly departmental evacuations drills for remote (non-clubhouse) facilities and activities such as aquatics, racquet center, golf course maintenance, and separate golf cart storage.?These will be scheduled by the department head in coordination with the club safety director or general manager.?The time of the drill should be chosen based on greatest rehearsal impact for the largest number of employees with the least disruption to member service.?Always review drills after the fact for effectiveness and opportunities for improvement.

Schedule two types of quarterly clubhouse evacuation drills:

Daytime – schedule drills for two quarters of the year on a weekday when all operating and administrative departments are functioning – again with the least disruption to members.

Evening – the remaining two quarterly drills should be scheduled for an evening period.?Clearly a nighttime drill will affect members, but the impact on member service and enjoyment of their club can be lessened by various strategies such as a board approved and supported weeknight “Fire Drill Night” when members are alerted in advance to the evening’s drill and the drill is scheduled for a particular time.?Invite the local fire chief as a club guest to give a brief presentation about the fire department, and the importance of fire safety, and need for emergency evacuation drills and employee training.

Meal service on this “special activity” night would be a reduced-price buffet scheduled to start just after the drill is completed.?Members would be asked to arrive early for the chief’s presentation with available beverage service and complimentary hors d’oeuvres while seated in the dining room.?After participating in the drill, members would return to the dining area for the buffet dinner.?Obviously, the selected date for this drill should be an evening without scheduled catered functions.

Emergency Evacuations Simulations

The other means of training employees in various departments of their responsibilities and actions during an emergency evacuation would be the use of departmental Emergency Evacuation Simulations.?These routine periodic simulations would consist of a variety of cards describing simulated emergencies for each area of the operation and questions for employees about their actions during the described emergency.

Simulation cards would be readily identifiable by design and color.?Each card would:

Describe an emergency scenario.

Require employees to describe their actions, including:

• Notification of the emergency – pulling the fire alarm, alerting any employees or members in the area, etc.
• Location of emergency exits.
• Primary and alternate evacuation routes.
• Steps to evacuate members, guests, and other employees.
• Location of exterior assembly areas.

Require the employee to list:

• Appropriate life safety actions in the presence of fire, heat, and smoke.
• When and how to fight or slow the spread of the fire.

Require the employee to:

• Point out the location of fire alarm pull stations.
• Point out the location of fire extinguishers.
• Explain the types of fire extinguishers and their respective uses.
• Simulate the use of a fire extinguisher, while describing the necessary operating procedures and techniques.

The supervisor presenting the simulation card would review the employee responses and point out any incorrect actions or answers.?The whole exercise should take no more than ten minutes and can be executed without disturbing normal service routines.

Bottom Line: ?While every club will want to brainstorm their fire safety procedures and determine the most effective plans for its operation, the above-described basics can serve as a blueprint to help increase fire safety awareness and improve emergency planning and preparation.

Private Club Performance Management offers a sample Club Safety Plan which includes topics and forms for fire safety and emergency evacuations.

For more useful ideas and information, check out the wide range of highly integrated and widely acclaimed Professional Development, Operational, and Training Resources at the PCPM Marketplace Store.