Medford Fire Prevention Bureau
Based on the 2007 Oregon Fire Code

– A-Assembly
– B-Business
– E-Educational
– F-Factory, Industrial
– H-Hazardous
– I-Institutional
– M-Mercantile
– R-Residential
– SR-Special Residential
– S-Storage
– U-Miscellaneous
Source: (OFC 202)

 Includes Fire Evacuation and Fire Safety Plans
When Required:
– Group A, except worship areas <2000 occupants
– Group B, 500 or more occupants; 100 above or below lowest level of exit discharge
– Group E
– Group H
– Group I
– Group R-2 college and university buildings;
Group R-4; Group R subject to licensure by state
– Group SR
– High Rise
– Group M, 500 or more occupants; 100 above or below lowest level of exit discharge
– Covered Malls >50,000 sq. ft.
– Underground buildings
– Group A, E, or M buildings with atriums
Source: (OFC 404)

 Why Have an Emergency Plan?
– To prevent fatalities and injuries
– To reduce damage to buildings and contents
– To accelerate the resumption of normal operations
– Because the fire code requires it
 Consider:
– There are approximately 75,000 fires annually that cost businesses over $2 billion
– These fires kill more than 200 and injure more than 5,000 people each year
– 45% of businesses never reopen after a fire due to the high cost of recovery and repairs
Sources: OSHA, Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.

 To Prepare for and Define the Roles for Evacuation and Relocation of Occupants During an Emergency
Includes:
– Emergency egress or escape routes
– Procedures for employees:
» Who remains to operate critical equip. before evacuating
» To account for employees and occupants
– ID those:
» Responsible for rescue or medical aid
» Who can be contacted for further information
– ID preferred and alternative means of notifying occupants of a fire or emergency
– Preferred and any alternative means of notifying fire department or appropriate emergency organization
Source: (OFC 404.3.1)

 Staff Duties and Responsibilities
– Emergency coordinator
– Chain of command
– Alternative communication center
– Address who will assist disabled workers
– A system for accounting for personnel and non-personnel following an evacuation
– Identify who is trained and willing to deal with casualties
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.

 How to React to an Emergency; Building Site
Layout and Hazards
– How to React to an Emergency
» Procedure to report an emergency
» Activating an emergency plan
» Procedure for alerting staff
» Ordering an evacuation
– ID personnel responsible for systems and equip. installed to prevent or control fires
– ID personnel responsible for maintenance, housekeeping, and controlling fuel hazard sources
– List of major fire hazards
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.

Also Includes:
–
Site Plans
–
Floor Plans Clearly Posted Throughout Building
Showing:
» Evacuation routes and alternate means of escape for each room or portion of the occupancy
» Accessible egress routes
» Designated “Safe Areas”
» Fire alarm pull stations
» Fire alarm control panels
» Fire extinguishers and manual fire extinguishing equipment
» Area separation walls
» First aid areas
Source: (OFC 404.3.2)


– Fire
– Earthquakes
– Explosion
– Bomb threats
– Chemical spills
– Workplace violence
– Utility Failure
– Medical emergency
– Triage
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.


– Emergency contact numbers:
– Emergency dispatch
– Hospitals
– Utility companies
– Government agencies
– Alarm company
– Sprinkler company
– Any other responsible parties
– Documentation of drills should include the date and time of each drill, the person conducting the drill and other information relative to the drill.
– Updated list of employee emergency contact information
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.


– Shall be reviewed or updated annually or as necessitated by changes in:
» Staff assignments
» Occupancy
» Physical arrangement of building

– Shall be available in the workplace for reference and review by employees
– Shall be available to fire code official for review upon request
Source: (OFC 404)

 Purpose of Fire Drills
– To be ready should an occurrence happen, increasing the chanced of survival. A disorganized evacuation can lead to confusion, injury, death and property damage.
 When Required
– Group A: quarterly for employees only
– Group B: annually
» 500 or more occupants; 100 above or below lowest level of exit discharge
– Group E: monthly complete evacuation.
– Group I: quarterly each shift for staff only.
– Group R1: quarterly each shift for staff only.
– Group R-2 (college and university): quarterly all occupants
– Group R-4 & SR: see IFC 408.1.2.
– High Rise: annually employees only
Source: (OFC 405)

 Emergency Egress and Relocation Drills
– Shall be held with sufficient frequency to familiarize occupants with the drill procedure and to establish conduct of the drill as a matter of routine.
– Planning and conduct of drills shall be assigned only to competent persons.
– To be held at expected and unexpected times and under varying conditions.
– Shall be Initiated by the fire alarm system when present
– Drill participants shall relocate to a predetermined location and remain at such until a recall or dismissal signal is given.
– Orderly evacuation should receive priority over the speed of evacuation.
– Occupants should be accounted for.
– A record shall be kept.
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.


In case of fire, think “
RACE
”:
–
R escue all persons in immediate area
–
A larm: announce the fire- Pull alarm and dial 911
–
C onfine the fire by closing doors
– E vacuate/E xtinguish
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.

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Fire Extinguisher Training
– Decision
– Only use if the fire is small and contained, and not spreading beyond its starting point
– Do not waste time in trying to fight the fire if the fire might block your only way out
– Proper extinguisher use, think “ PASS ”:
– P ull trigger pin (Stand back several feet away from fire)
– A im low, point the nozzle at the base of the fire
– S queeze trigger
– S weep from side to side until the fire appears to be out
Medical Training
– First aid, CPR, etc.
Safety Equipment
– First aid kits, hardhats, goggles, eye washing facilities, breathing apparatus, etc.
Fire Prevention-Monthly Inspections
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.

 Fire Protection Systems (Alarms and Sprinklers)
– Train employees how your particular system works
– Employees should be familiar with fire alarm signals
– Smoke alarms detect smoke, sprinklers are set off by heat
– Smoke alarms systems are early warning devices, allowing precious time to evacuate
– Fire sprinkler systems are designed to control the fire
– Normally one or two sprinklers will discharge, not the whole system
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.


Source: Complete Fire Prevention Library, The Idea Bank

Buildings or structures that are not provided with adequate means of egress or emergency escapes are unsafe and shall be subject to the abatement procedures specified in Section
110.
(OFC 1001.3)

Existing Buildings, Where Required:


A>50 (Except Churches <300)
B three or more stories and 100 or more occupants above or below level of exit discharge
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B 1,000 or more occupants
E exitways and windowless areas of occupancy
F>100 (Except buildings used only in daylight with windows)
I
M (Except buildings <3000 sq. ft on one story only)
R-1 (Except where each guestroom has direct outdoor grade level access)
R-2 (Except where each guestroom has direct outdoor grade level access)
R-4 (Except where each guestroom has direct outdoor grade level access)
(OFC 1027.5)

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