Creating a Fire Escape and Restoration Plan for Your Business

11/1/2023 (Permalink)

Don’t panic when a fire happens! Learn how your business can prepare for safe evacuations and effective fire damage restorations.

No one wants to experience a fire. They are traumatic, destructive, and dangerous. However, the reality is that it can happen at any time. For that reason, it’s important that businesses make sure they are prepared for the disaster if it should occur. In fact, it’s vital that owners create and communicate their evacuation plans with their employees to ensure everyone’s safety. 

Preparations shouldn’t end with a basic fire escape plan, though. For the best results, businesses should also make sure that they are prepared for the restoration process that follows the evacuation. Otherwise, they could waste a lot of time and money while they complete the commercial fire damage restoration in Weymouth, MA.

In order to be safer and more efficient, business owners should keep reading this guide. They’ll learn more about steps they can take to create a safe escape route and an efficient restoration plan.

How to Create a Fire Escape Plan for Your Business

Safety should always be the first priority when considering how to deal with a commercial fire. Therefore, it’s crucial that business owners sit down and truly think of the safest way to help their customers and employees evacuate the building in the event of a fire. The following steps can help create a safe and effective plan.

Prepare for Multiple Scenarios

Fires are unpredictable, so fire evacuation plans should cover multiple scenarios. Listing all of the possibilities can help companies to create an action plan. During this process, it’s important to consider the specific risks that threaten a business and how they can impact a person’s ability to escape safely. 

Define Roles and Responsibilities

To avoid chaos when a fire breaks out, every employee should know their role in the escape plan. The chief fire warden's role should be assigned to an employee who can handle the stressful situation and be responsible for any planning, prepping, or execution of the fire plan. Other roles can include route guides to help employees and customers evacuate calmly and floor monitors to make sure each room is clear.

Highlight Nearest Exits and Create Escape Routes

The best fire evacuation plans should have multiple routes in case of blockages. These routes should be communicated to all employees and displayed for reference throughout the building. They should point everyone towards the nearest exits, which should be clearly marked for fast action. 

Understand Tools and Inspect Them Regularly

Fire codes require businesses to have specific fire safety tools, but they are only useful if employees know how to use them. It’s important to educate employees so that they are familiar with all of the available tools that can help them stay safe. It’s equally important that these tools be inspected routinely as well. For example, companies should test that fire alarm systems, lighting, and sprinklers are working properly.

Preparing for a Fire Restoration

Once everyone has exited the building safely, the hard work of completing a commercial fire damage restoration begins. Business owners should also have a plan for how to handle this process if they want to minimize their downtime. The following steps are the most crucial for successfully bouncing back after a major disaster.

Know Who to Call

First and foremost, companies should immediately know who they are going to call when a fire happens. While 911 is the obvious answer, that’s not the only call that needs to be made. 

Business owners should also know which commercial fire damage restoration company they want to hire. It’s better to have a company picked out before they are needed so that no time is wasted searching the internet for the best local company.

Aside from looking at the restoration crew's experience, business owners should consider the contractor’s availability. Since fires can happen when they are least expected, it’s essential that the restoration company offers 24/7 emergency services.

Decide How to Operate Business

A fire doesn’t mean that a business has to close completely. If the fire is quickly extinguished, a company may be able to safely continue operations while the restoration is completed. However, this only works if the company has a plan in place. They should consider:

• Where business transactions will take place
• How many employees will be needed
• Alternative business locations
• How downtime will impact finances

Find out More About How to Prepare for a Commercial Fire Damage Restoration

Want to know more about how businesses can prepare for a fire? Contact SERVPRO of Weymouth, Hingham, and Quincy. Their commercial fire damage restoration company can provide more insight into their process. They are also available 24/7 for emergency assistance, so local companies should call right away.