The basis for this section is to understand who will participate in building emergencies and what their respective roles and responsibilities are.
The individuals that will be participating in an emergency or potential emergency include:
- Building Management and Engineering
- Security Officers
- Tenants
- Federal, State, and City authorities also complement this team, when needed.
The San Francisco Fire Department/response team has the ultimate and full responsibility of ensuring the safety of the building and its occupants in cases of emergencies. However, the General Manager of Hills Plaza shares in this responsibility. For emergencies that have the potential to affect the entire building the decision-making rank is as follows:
- City responding agency (Fire, Police, Bomb Squad, etc.)
- General Manager (in cooperation with Owners)
- Assistant General Manager
- Chief Engineer
- Assistant Chief Engineer
- Duty Security Officers
During normal business hours (7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) the tenant must provide various individuals (and alternates) to fill safety roles as described below and in accordance with the number of employees of each tenant relative to the total number of tenants on each floor. The Management Office staff will also fill these roles. For clear identification purposes, all team members below must wear their vests in case of an emergency.
Floor Wardens and Assistant Floor Wardens are responsible for coordination and reporting of any potential or actual emergency conditions to the Management Office. Additionally they shall:
- Appoint, organize, and direct members of the emergency evacuation team and fill vacant positions.
- Maintain an updated roster of all Searchers, Stairwell Monitors, Elevator Monitors, Evacuation Assistants and alternates and provide this roster to the Management Office/Fire Safety Director.
- Pre-plan the handling of persons needing assistance/mobility impaired personnel during evacuation by pairing them with an Evacuation Assistant(s) and develop tenant-specific evacuation plan, if required.
- Identify any non-English speaking tenants or visitors and assist them in following the evacuation plan.
- Know the locations of all stairwell exits leading from occupied areas and relocation areas.
- Ensure that all emergency evacuation team personnel know their assigned duties and stations in case of an emergency through supervised training.
- Alert key personnel of potential emergencies.
- Remain with the team throughout the evacuation period.
- Listen for the “All Clear” call from the San Francisco Fire Department, the Fire Safety Director and all team members have performed his/her duties and evacuated with the team.
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Emergency Evacuation Teams shall act on the direction of the Floor Wardens and Assistant Floor Warden(s) and shall consist of a Searcher, Stairwell Monitor, Evacuation Assistant, and Elevator Monitor as designated volunteers by the Floor Warden (or Assistant). The team members will know the locations of all stairwell exits leading from occupied areas, and lead emergency evacuations and drills from occupied areas as directed by a Floor Warden to the relocation area.
Searchers, at the direction of the Floor Warden or Assistant Floor Warden, shall:
- Find and evacuate all personnel from his/her designated area.
- Searchers shall direct all personnel to the stairwell.
- While the Floor Warden is evacuating the space, check all rooms including coffee rooms, restrooms, storage rooms, coat closets, conference rooms, reception areas, and remote areas on the floor.
- The Searchers must close but not lock all doors after being checked.
- After checking these rooms, the Searcher must place the “SEARCHED” stickers on the lower third of each closed door. Colored adhesive PostItTM notes can be used as an alternate.
- Advise any remaining personnel on the floor of the emergency and insist on their evacuation.
- Evacuate non-employees found on the floor.
- Report to Floor Warden when his/her area is clear.
Stairwell Monitors, at the direction of the Floor Warden or Assistant Floor Warden:
- Inspect stairwell entry for the presence of heat or smoke before allowing anyone to pass. If the primary stairwell is impacted or obstructed by fire or smoke, then redirect evacuees to the secondary stairwell.
- Take a position at his/her assigned stairwell exit post and lead personnel down the stairs to the relocation area.
- Direct personnel to form a single-file line into the stairwell exit and instruct them to exit only along the right side of the stairwell to allow for fire personnel to pass.
- Supervise and monitor the evacuation flow while remaining calm and orderly, including prohibiting evacuees from carrying food and drink products into the hallways and stairwells.
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Evacuation Assistants, as designated by the Floor Warden or Assistant Floor Warden, or as agreed to by both the individual requiring assistance and the volunteer shall:
- Maintain an up-to-date list of persons needing assistance/physically challenged employees on the floor and report this information to the Floor Warden.
- Stay with the individual who requires assistance.
- Evacuate this person to the nearest and safest exit stairwell and coordinate a safe egress with the City and the Management Office.
- Report to Floor Warden after evacuating.
Elevator Monitors, as designated by the Floor Warden or Assistant Floor Warden:
- Make sure no one uses the elevators in case of an emergency.
- Direct employees to the nearest stairwell exit.
- Be familiar with the building evacuation plan and location of all stairwell exits.
- Stay at the designated post until instructed to evacuate by the Floor Warden or Assistant Floor Warden.
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