It is important for every employee to study these evacuation plans that are provided on the Facilities intranet link. Employees should become familiar with in their own working environment for their safety and protection. The Archdiocese of Atlanta will periodically conduct fire drills to assess and practice our preparedness. The dates and times of these drills will not be revealed prior to their execution. Everyone present in the building at the time of a drill is required to participate.
2401 FIRE EVACUATION GENERAL
In the 2401 building we have 3 sets of stair cases that all lead from the 3rd floor down to the first floor. Please locate these staircases either by physically locating them or by use of the floor plan on our facilities intranet site. The stair wells are located on each floor at the north side, central near the elevators and on the south side. The Terrace level does not have a stair case but is surrounded by exits leading to the ground level. The banquet area on the south Terrace side has exits facing HWY 41 or the back of our building and through the kitchen. The Terrace exit can be found near the fountain.
In the event of an evacuation drill, we ask that you use the exits that lead towards the parking lot through the stairwells or through the main lobby exit. If you are in the Terrace level during a drill, please exit through the kitchen or use the wooden staircase that leads from the Terrace lobby to the main lobby and exit. During an actual or unplanned evacuation, please exit through the nearest exit on the Terrace level. If you exit the building during an actual evacuation from the Terrace level, please exit and make your way around the building by heading north or against the flow of our creek. You will have to go through the wood line and make your way back to the parking lot.
Once you have exited the building, you will make your way to the back of the parking lot where you will find signs left to right marked area 1st floor north, area 1st floor south, area 2nd floor north, area 2nd floor south, area 3rd floor north and Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta Revised March 7, 2012 area 3rd floor south. Please go to your area that matches the floor side you work on and await further instructions.
FIRE EVACUATION COORDINATOR
Facilities will appoint a minimum of two people to act as evacuation coordinators for evacuation area. One person will be the primary coordinator during an evacuation; the second will be the back-up coordinator.
Each coordinator is responsible for grouping their fellow employees in a predesignated area outside this building. The evacuation coordinator is responsible for providing single source information to the area lead coordinators accounting for the presence or absence of employees. This information is extremely important to emergency personnel in determining whether or not evacuation is complete. Single source information avoids a great deal of confusion.
Every employee is responsible for directing their guests, volunteer workers and clients to the exits during an evacuation.
SPECIAL NEEDS
All employees should be sensitive to the special needs of other employees during an evacuation. Since ELEVATORS MUST NOT BE USED during an evacuation, the mobility of all persons in the building must be maintained.
Be aware of employees in the building whose mobility may be temporarily impaired by injury and may need assistance in making an exit. Be aware of any one who may have a chronic impairment and need assistance in negotiating stairs. Be aware that some respiratory conditions such as asthma or emphysema may become chronic in the presence of smoke, even light doses. Persons with these ailments may also need assistance in evacuating the building or in directing them to the fire rescue area. The fire rescue area is the area inside each stairwell on landing. There is one on every stairwell in each of the 3 stairwells we have throughout our building.
Persons with disabilities, who cannot exit down the stairs under their own ability or with the aide of able bodied persons, will be assisted by fire rescue personnel at the fire rescue areas. Our building was designed for this and such cases will not impede the use of the staircase by others during an evacuation. Again, life safety personnel (Fire Department/Police) are trained to locate each of these areas if such persons need assistance.
It is also important to know that it is each person’s own decision to assist others during an evacuation. Your only responsibility is to get yourself out safely. We are not telling you not to assist, but it is your own decision. This is very important to understand.
At the Archdiocese of Atlanta, we all have a very high moral code, one that we are certainly proud of. In times of crisis or evacuation, retaining information to pass along to life safety personnel regarding persons who may be trapped; injured etc. can be more beneficial than you risking your own safety.