Evacuation exercise
Do the Emergency Response Officers in your organisation know what to do in case of an evacuation? Does the evacuation plan work? We are happy to help you answer these questions in a way that suits your organisation and employees. You can come to us for the complete process, from actually practicing and organizing an evacuation exercise up until advice, observation, evaluation, and aftercare. The more frequent EROs practice evacuations, the more skilled they become.
Why organise an evacuation exercise?
There are multiple reasons why an evacuation exercise is important. Carrying out an evacuation exercise helps make sure that everyone – from Emergency Response Officer to employee – knows what to do when there’s an actual emergency situation. It shows whether the evacuation plan works, whether employees know the evacuation plan, offers insight into (possible) areas for improvement and eventually results into more efficient actions. By practicing at least once a year, the ERO team is well-prepared.
What are the options?
Evacuation exercises are divided into several stages, increasing in complexity and difficulty. The higher the stage, the more complex and challenging the exercise becomes. Has your organisation recently moved to a new location, or have you not carried out an evacuation exercise before? Then a Table-top, Stage 0 or Stage 1 exercise would be a suitable starting point. If your emergency response team has practiced before, then Stage 2, Stage 3 or Stage 4 are a good choice. You're free to choose the stage that suits your organisation best – but we're also happy to advise.
Communication exercise
Stage 0
Going through the evacuation plan with the ERO organisation. This stage is a theoretic communication exercise in which the evacuation plan is discussed with the ERO organization. In addition, a tour is made through the building to bring preventive measures to the attention.
Table-top
Stage 0
During a table-top exercise, we use a large floor plan laid out on the table, allowing you to assess situations clearly and work through various scenarios in a ‘dry run’. We use a game-based format to encourage discussion about your emergency response organisation. This gives you a clear picture of any potential bottlenecks during an evacuation.
Physical evacuation
Stage 1
Date and time are announced in advance. Prior to this exercise there is a pre-meeting with the organiser of the exercise, for example the ERO management. As many details as possible are discussed and the evacuation is carried out under the supervision of an instructor. This stage is recommended when your organisation is new or when, for example, you’ve recently moved.
Physical evacuation
Stage 2
The day or week is announced, but not the exact time. Just like with Stage 1, this stage has a pre-meeting. This time however, the instructor has a less leading and more observing role.
Physical evacuation
Stage 3
The day or week is not announced in advance. In this stage, the evacuation exercise is carried out as realistically as possible, without a pre-meeting. The instructor arrives at your organisation discreetly and unannounced and starts the exercise. The evacuation is carried out by your emergency response team. You can also choose to involve a trained casualty actor to simulate an injured person.
Physical evacuation
Stage 4
The day or week is not announced in advance. External emergency services are included. In this stage, the instructor also takes on an observational role, and the use of a trained casualty actor is optional.
Who is involved in an evacuation exercise?
Who is involved in the evacuation exercise depends on which stage you are exercising in as an organization. In Stage 0, only emergency response officers are involved. If you choose Stage 1 to 4, employees and possible visitors are involved as well. In addition, in Stage 5 we also involve external emergency services.
Time investment
During a complete evacuation (Stage1 to 4) employees (and possible visitors) are away from their workplace for a maximum of 12-15 minutes. In average, an exercise takes about 3 hours for emergency response officers (the complete duration depends on the evacuation stage).
Including
This exercise includes:
- Pre-meeting (Stage 1 and 2)
- Testing preventive measures
- Guiding the evacuation
- Evaluation of the evacuation
What do you gain from an evacuation exercise?
After the exercise, your organisation will not only know whether your evacuation plan is effective, but you’ll also get an insight into possible improvements for the emergency response team. The findings from the evacuation exercise are recorded on an observation form. This form provides a general overview of what went well and what could be improved or done differently. You can also opt for a detailed evacuation report, which we tailor entirely to your specific situation.
Combination possible: an effective solution
Would you like to get your evacuation procedures in order in just one day? Combine the evacuation exercise (Stage 0, 1 or 2) with a refresher training for your emergency response team. Then the team first takes part in the training, followed by a practical evacuation exercise.
