FIRE EVACUATION PLAN 1
John Wesley United Methodist Church
129 North Potomac Street,
Hagerstown, MD 21740
301-733-0391
CONTACT Rev. Richard Jewell
DATE OF DRAFT PLAN ADOPTION May 18, 2009
PURPOSE
The purpose of this plan is to establish procedures for the safe, systematic and orderly
evacuation of John Wesley United Methodist Church located at 129 North Potomac Street,
Hagerstown, MD, by its occupants in case of a fire emergency, and to instruct occupants on the
proper fire evacuation procedures. We take on the responsibility for safety of adults and
children in our building in the event of a fire as a holy responsibility.
OBJECTIVES
a.
The primary objectives of this plan are to minimize and/or prevent injury to persons, and
property damage to church buildings.
b.
The secondary objective is to provide proper education as part of the continuing training
program for all occupants, to assure the prompt reporting of a fire and the proper
response to fire alarms, and the immediate initiation of fire safety procedures to
safeguard life and contain fire until the arrival of the fire department. This Fire Safety
Plan will be placed into effect by designated emergency evacuation personnel upon
activation of fire alarms or notification of a fire emergency.
EQUIPMENT INFORMATION
The design of our building incorporates the following fire prevention equipment and features:
a.
Automatic smoke detection system: All levels have ceiling mounted smoke detectors.
One ceiling mounted smoke detector is located in each room, including four in the
Sanctuary. The corridors also have ceiling mounted smoke detectors. There is one
ceiling mounted smoke detector in each of the four emergency exit stairwells, one in the
storage room and one in the resource room. The Fire Alarm Control Panel is located in
room 202, the Epworth Classroom.
b.
Heat Sensors are located in the kitchen.
c.
Manual Fire Alarm Pull Stations are located on the walls at each of the outside door
entrance/exits.
d.
An emergency battery pack powered lighting system provides illumination sufficient for
evacuation purposes.
e.
Fire extinguishers (10 pound ABC Multipurpose, Dry Chemical) are conspicuously
located throughout the building.
f.
All emergency exits are marked with illuminated EXIT signs that remain lit even when
the electricity is turned off.
h.
A Fixed Extinguishing System is part of the range hood setup in the kitchen, room 103.
1
This emergency evacuation plan is intended for Sunday Services only (excluding the John Wesley Day
Nursery program during the week). This plan is to be used in the event the church needs to be
evacuated for any emergency: fire, bomb scare, gas leak etc.
If You Discover a Fire, or See or Smell Smoke - RACE
R-
Rescue persons in immediate danger if you can safely do so.
A-
Activate fire alarms by pulling the nearest fire alarm pull station and call the fire
department at 9-1-1.
C-
Contain fire and smoke by closing as many doors in the church as possible. In many
fires the primary cause of damage is smoke - closing doors will keep the fire from
spreading and will help limit smoke damage.
E-
Evacuate immediately all persons to the assembly area, Extinguish with portable fire
extinguisher only if
the evacuation has already begun,
the fire department has already been called,
you do not put yourself or anyone else in danger,
the fire is very small and contained, and
you have been trained on how to operate a fire extinguisher.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
UPON SOUNDING OF THE FIRE ALARM HORNS, BEGIN IMMEDIATE EVACUATION.
Ushers and Sunday School teachers will direct occupants to the nearest fire exit to the outside
assembly area.
NEVER SILENCE OR RESET THE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM UNTIL PERMISSION IS GIVEN
BY FIRE DEPARTMENT. 2
While the occupants are moving toward the exits, the ushers and Director of Christian Education
or appropriate designee will search the entire building to insure that all persons are evacuating
via the building exit/entrances, including storage rooms, restrooms, kitchens, etc. to verify that
all occupants are evacuating.
DO NOT USE ELEVATOR AS A WAY TO EXIT THE BUILDING, USE THE STAIRS.
All occupants must proceed in an orderly fashion to the exits. Remember that some persons
may require assistance due to special needs. If an occupant is in a wheel chair, the they should
go to the nearest fire stair and wait for assistance. All fire stair doors should be closed as the
evacuation takes place.3
All evacuees will proceed directly to one of the following designated assembly area(s) located at
least 100 feet from building:
1.
For those exiting to the front of the church, in front of the old YMCA building;
2.
for those exiting to the rear of the building, in the church parking lot to the south
of the City Market.
2
This plan needs to be reviewed by the Fire Department and made consistent with their
recommendations and practices. In addition we need to know if our fire system is covered by a
monitoring contract. If it is not “calling the fire department” is a duty that needs to be assigned in this
plan, otherwise folk will be waiting on the sidewalks for a very long time!
3
Props should be removed from all stair fire doors and the Sanctuary doors when the building is being
secured for the evening.
Usher and Sunday School teachers will be responsible for directing all evacuees to these
locations. All persons should be accounted for at this time and any missing persons or persons
in wheel chairs remaining in the protection of stair wells should be reported to the fire
department. NO PERSONS WILL RE-ENTER THE BUILDING UNTIL PERMISSION IS GIVEN
BY FIRE DEPARTMENT. A designated person will meet the fire department with keys to the
building and information on the status of the emergency and or the evacuation.
Calmly take control of the class or congregation and inform them:
1.
The Alarm you are hearing indicates that the fire alarm system has been activated and
that the fire department will be responding to the facility.
2.
We will begin evacuating the building now. Please follow the direction of the ushers or
Sunday School teachers. Move at least 100 feet away from the building exit to our
designated assembly area located in front of the old YMCA building or for those exiting
to the rear of the building, in the church parking lot to the south of the City Market.
3.
Do not worry about your children (or parents) or attempt to go and get them. When we
are outside the building and everyone is accounted for, you will be directed to the area
where they have been evacuated to meet with them.
4.
Tell them the path that they will follow to leave the building and the assembly area they
will go to, which is posted just inside the door of the classroom.
5.
Make sure that no one is left in the room. Take the morning attendance sheet with you.4
CLOSE THE DOOR as you exit the room, but do not lock it. Follow your class outside to
the designated assembly area.
6.
Attempt to account for everyone in the class using the attendance sheet and report any
missing persons to the Fire Safety Director or Fire Department.
7.
Do not allow anyone to re-enter the building without approval from the Fire Department.
FIRE EVACUATION DRILLS AND TRAINING
Fire evacuation drills shall be conducted at least every 6 months. All personnel occupying the
building shall participate in the drills.
Details of drills and evaluation of their effectiveness shall be maintained on record by the Chair
of the Trustees. This information shall be available for examination by the Hagerstown Fire
Department as requested.
All drills begin with the sounding of the alarm horns.
Please notify the Hagerstown Fire Department Communications Center before and after
conducting a fire drill at 301-790-2476.
Training will be done to familiarize staff on procedures outlined in this plan on a regular basis.
4
Do all classes use attendance sheets of some kind? If you are in the middle of an unexpected fire
emergency, people may not remember the names of everyone in the room?
Ushers Responsibilities.
All ushers on duty shall be aware of all emergency exits throughout the church. The ushers shall
check to make sure all exits are not obstructed and that all doors are unlocked and operating
correctly.
The Director of Christian Education or a designee shall get a total number of children attending
Sunday school. Each Sunday school teacher shall provide this person with a final total.
In the event of an emergency, one usher will check the bathroom in the Narthex. Each usher
team will designate its members for this assignment on an ongoing basis. If a particular usher is
not present in a given week, the team will reassign the role as appropriate at the start of the
service.
The head usher will call 911 to report the emergency.5
If an attempt is made to extinguish a fire:
Make sure you have the appropriate fire extinguisher to fight the fire. The classifications
are on the side of the extinguisher:
Class A: ordinary combustibles (wood, paper)
Class B: flammable and combustible liquids
Class C: electrical fires
Class D: combustible metals
Note: all of the extinguishers in the building are multi-purpose dry chemical extinguishers rated
for Class A, B, & C fires. With the exception of the silver extinguishers which are pressurized
water extinguishers (class A fires only)6
Once the appropriate extinguisher is selected use this acronym (PASS) to use the extinguisher:
P:
Pull the pin
A:
Aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire
S:
Squeeze the handle
S:
Sweep (move the extinguisher back and forth until fire is extinguished) If the fire does
not go out after using the extinguisher, continue assisting others to evacuate the building
(the general evacuation should have already begun).
5
Delete this step if the building system is electronically monitored.
6
Do we have any silver extinguishers?
Sunday School Teachers
All teachers are responsible for knowing the closest exits in event of evacuation.
At the beginning of each Sunday school class, a class roster will be generated with who is in the
class and then a total number. This roster must be completed within 10 minutes of class
starting. The teacher should take this list with him/her in an evacuation.
In the event of an evacuation: place all children in a single line at the door, remind them not to
talk and to remain calm. The teacher should count the children as they exit the room, turn off
the lights and shut the door. The teacher should be the last person out of the room. Proceed to
the nearest exit. Once outside proceed with your class to the parking lot behind Rowe Hall.
Count the children to make sure that all stayed with you. Do not let parents take their children.
Keep your class together. Fire Department/Police Department activity will be the highest on
Potomac Street and possibly in the alley, therefore getting the children to the parking lot is
better for everyone.
The Director of Christian Education or designee shall check each of the five bathrooms in the
Education wing.7
Once all classes have gathered in the parking lot, and final counts of children have been made,
if parents come to the rear of the church via the YMCA driveway, teachers are permitted to
release children to their parents.
In the event a fire is discovered, the teacher shall immediately proceed to the nearest fire alarm
system pull station and activate it and then assist in evacuating the area.
If an attempt is made to extinguish a fire:
Make sure you have the appropriate fire extinguisher to fight the fire. The classifications
are on the side of the extinguisher:
Class A: ordinary combustibles (wood, paper)
Class B: flammable and combustible liquids
Class C: electrical fires
Class D: combustible metals
Note: all of the extinguishers in the building are multi-purpose dry chemical extinguishers rated
for Class A, B, & C fires. With the exception of the silver extinguishers which are pressurized
water extinguishers (class A fires only)8
Once the appropriate extinguisher is selected use this acronym (PASS) to use the extinguisher:
P:
Pull the pin
A:
Aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire
S:
Squeeze the handle
7
Should the Epworth class be responsible for checking the 2nd floor Education Wing bathrooms?
8
See footnote 7
S:
Sweep (move the extinguisher back and forth until fire is extinguished) If the fire does
not go out after using the extinguisher, evacuate the building (the general evacuation
should have already begun).
Clergy Responsibilities
The clergy will be responsible for the worship areas of the building. If the evacuation of the
building is required, the pastor will remind all adults to remain calm, remind parents not attempt
to get children from Sunday school, and then evacuate the worship area in an orderly fashion.
All persons in the Sanctuary will be directed to the area in front of the former YMCA. Adults and
children in the Education wing will be directed to the John Wesley parking lot off the rear alley
behind Rowe Hall.
The pastor will be responsible for assisting the evacuation of the nursery room.
For Everyone:
Once out of the building, stay out of the building, do not go back inside until the Fire Department
or Police Department gives permission.