Emergency Evacuation Plan

To be activated in the event of Fire, Bomb Threat or Utility Failure.

The Hirer is deemed to be the responsible person to activate this plan and shall be on the premises for the duration of the hire period.

The postcode address of these premises is:- The Women’s Hall, 81 The High Street, Billingshurst, RH149QX

The Hirer must consider how to contact the emergency services when carrying out the event risk assessment prior to the commencement of the hire period. The emergency services can be contacted from a personal mobile (if there is sufficient signal) or by speaking to the caretaker if available or the homeowner in the immediate vicinity.

MUSTER POINT: The front of the Hall

This plan contains:

  1. Responsibility of Hirer if an emergency is declared

  2. How to warn event attendees of the emergency

  3. Persons responsible for summoning the emergency services

  4. Evacuation procedure

  5. Identification of vulnerable persons and those especially at risk and their evacuation arrangements

  6. Identify organisers with special duties such as Fire Marshals

  7. Identify the Fire Assembly Point

  8. Liaising with the emergency response co-ordinator on arrival and notifying of significant risks

  9. The shutdown of equipment or power supplies that require isolation

  10. Training that may be required by event organisers and their helpers

1. Responsibility of Hirer if an emergency is declared

In the event of an emergency as specified on the front cover of this document the hirer, who is designated as the ‘Responsible Person’ shall implement the Emergency Action Plan, using any additional control measures identified on their event risk assessment.

They must ensure:

I. That the alarm is sounded, by operating a call point if necessary or shout “fire” in the event of a system failure.

II. Ensure, previously designated, fire marshals direct all occupants to the safe exits and inform them to congregate in the area of the large swings in the Mothers Garden.

III. Nominate an individual to contact the required emergency service and liaise with the Officer in charge when they arrive.

IV. Fight any fire if trained and it is safe to do so.

V. Conduct a roll call of persons attending the event.

VI. Ensure key helpers have a clear understanding of their role and provide instruction if required.

2. How to warn event attendees of an emergency.

This is a small site and thus use of the fire alarms is the best way to do this.

Individuals may activate the Fire Alarm System by operating the call point adjacent to any emergency exit. The fire alarm is an instruction to all occupants to evacuate the building without delay and the nominated fire marshals will assist in this process.

In the unlikely event that a call point is activated inadvertently the responsible person should identify the call point which has been activated and reset it. This will be evident by a yellow tag appearing in the top right-hand corner of the clear panel on the call point. To reset the call point insert the black key into the aperture above the yellow tag in the call point case and rotate the key clockwise one-quarter of a turn until the unit resets, then remove the key. To silence the alarm and reset the system, proceed to the fire panel adjacent and to the left-hand side of the main entrance door. Beneath the clear hinged cover insert the key which is stored on top of the unit into the controls enable switch and rotate clockwise one-quarter of a turn until the associated amber neon is illuminated. The alarm control buttons should then be operated in the following sequence. ‘Silence Alarm’, ‘Silence Buzzer’, ‘Reset System’. Rotate the key anti-clockwise one-quarter of a turn, remove and store on top of the panel. Check all lights are extinguished except the green power light and close the clear plastic cover.

Report all incidents to the caretaker.

3. Persons responsible for summoning the emergency services

The person nominated, by the responsible person, to contact the required emergency service should provide the following details once contact is made:

I. The name of the building – THE WOMEN’S HALL.

II. The postal address – 81 The High Street, Billingshurst, RH149QX.

III. Give the telephone number of the phone by which you have contacted the service.

IV. Brief circumstances i.e. approx location of fire or description of threat.

V. Describe the Women’s Hall Village Hall position beside St Mary’s Close and note it is double yellow lines outside the hall.

4. Evacuation procedure

Make your way to the nearest fire exit and out of the building to the assembly point in the playground near the large swings in a calm and orderly manner.

Return to the building is prohibited until you have been told it is safe to do so by the Officer controlling the incident. The silencing of the fire alarm must never be an indication that it is safe to re-enter the building.

5. Identification of vulnerable persons and those especially at risk and their evacuation arrangements

Consideration must be given to mobility, hearing, or sight-impaired persons so that they are not put at a disadvantage in an emergency situation. This should also include small children, those in wheelchairs and the elderly. Any vulnerable persons may require assisted evacuation from the building.

6. Identify organisers with special duties such as Fire Marshals

At the event planning stage, the risk assessment will identify the number of the public expected. A maximum of 120 persons are permitted within the building at any one time and two fire marshals or stewards should be nominated for every one hundred persons expected.

7. Make sure that users are aware of the Fire Assembly Point outside of the building

The designated assembly point for persons evacuating the building is in the playground adjacent to the large swings. All attendees should make their way to that area and report to the event organiser for a roll call. At this time notify the person conducting the roll call of any known individual, who attended the event, which you have not seen or perceive to be missing. Such information shall be passed to the Senior Officer of the Emergency Service in attendance.

8. Liaising with the emergency response co-ordinator on arrival and notifying of significant risks

The individual nominated to contact the required emergency service should provide details of the incident as instructed by the responsible person and itemised in paragraph 3 above. Upon arrival of the emergency service the nominated person is to make themselves known to the senior officer attending and provide local knowledge of the incident as requested.

9. The shutdown of equipment or power supplies that require isolation

The emergency service attending an incident may be in possession of a site map however it will be necessary to provide directions to the power cabinet situated at the back of the stage.

10. Training

During the risk assessment phase of planning an event at The Women’s Hall the responsible person/event organiser/hirer will assess if they or attendees with special duties require additional training and ensure that any necessary training is completed.