NEws & INSIGHTS

Fire Alarm Zone Plans & Other Crucial Signage for Educational Premises. What is Needed and Why?

Educational premises hold the responsibility of maintaining the safety and well-being of their students, staff, and visitors. One crucial aspect of maintaining this is having fully up-to-date and compliant fire alarm zone plans, escape plans and lockdown plans in place. When it comes to fire safety, compliance is non-negotiable. Ensure that your zone plans adhere to relevant regulations and standards by ordering them from QDOS.

These plans outline the layout of the building and designate specific zones for efficient evacuation in the event of a fire emergency. What is needed in fire alarm zone plans and other safety signage for educational premises and why are they indispensable?

Fire alarm zone plans

A comprehensive floor plan serves as the foundation for developing effective zone plans.

Always remember this simple checklist when you are gathering information to include:

Final exits

Common escape routes

Circulation areas

Stairs

The division of the building into fire alarm zones

Remember!

If the fire alarm uses a zone for a lockdown plan, this needs to be detailed on the zone plan to avoid any confusion between a fire evacuation and a lockdown invacuation.

Escape Plans

Begin by creating detailed floor plans that accurately depict the layout of the building. Highlight key features such as classrooms, administrative offices, restrooms, stairwells, and emergency exits. Incorporate symbols or labels to denote fire alarm devices, extinguishers, and other safety equipment.

Emergency procedures

Clearly outline the procedures in your drawings to follow in the event of a fire alarm. This includes how to safely exit the building, where to assemble outside, and who to contact for assistance. This ensures that you can supply your education-based customers with fully safe and compliant escape plans.

What should I include in my escape plans?

Escape plans are vital tools displayed for building users, detailing escape routes and evacuation procedures. Ensure they are prominently displayed on every floor, especially near primary entry points, lifts, and stairs. For schools and secure buildings, include additional information regarding building security and staged evacuation procedures. Get in touch today to ask for specialist school and secure building escape plans.

Lockdown plans

These plans outline colour-coded layouts that delineate safe areas, areas of potential risk, and designated command centres. By clearly defining these zones within the lockdown plan, personnel can efficiently coordinate responses, ensuring the safety of everyone within the facility. Integrating lockdown plans into safety protocols further strengthens preparedness efforts, enabling swift and decisive actions during crises.

Why are these extra steps necessary?

In the event of a fire emergency, having a well-developed plan in place can mean the difference between a safe evacuation and chaos for your clients.
By providing detailed floor plans, designating fire alarm zones, escape plans and more, educational premises can ensure a prompt and orderly response to fire emergencies. Trade users can play a pivotal role in enhancing fire safety within schools.

Order today with QDOS to ensure fully compliant zone plans, escape plans and lockdown plans.