Emergency Management

When responding to an activated fire alarm or a non-fire emergency, a well-prepared and competent Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) is essential. This team plays a critical role in investigating the situation, managing the emergency, coordinating any required evacuations, and helping prevent unnecessary evacuations.

A wide range of incidents can occur within a building, including smoke, fire, gas leaks, chemical spills, armed hold-ups and bomb threats. Each situation must be assessed and managed quickly so that the correct action is taken and people are moved away from danger to a safe area.

To support this process, an emergency management committee should be established in accordance with AS 3745, which covers emergency planning for facilities. The committee reviews the building environment, potential hazards, existing systems such as fire alarms, building size and layout, occupant numbers, and the resources available to fulfil warden responsibilities.

Once this is in place, an emergency procedures manual is developed for the building, and an ECO is selected and trained in the systems, procedures and individual roles.

A trial evacuation is then conducted to test the procedures and the team’s readiness, with any necessary reviews or improvements completed afterwards.

Fire systems are generally designed to begin an automatic evacuation when a smoke or heat detector, sprinkler, or other alarm device is activated. In some cases, alarms may be triggered by non-emergency situations, such as cooking smoke, because the system cannot determine the cause of the activation on its own.

If the fire alarm and occupant warning systems remain in automatic mode, the entire building may be evacuated unnecessarily, causing avoidable disruption and costs for businesses and occupants.

Automatic mode may only be required until a trained ECO member arrives. The evacuation system can then be switched to manual, allowing the team to investigate the source of the alarm and determine whether evacuation is necessary.

In many cases, no evacuation is required. Where evacuation is necessary, it may apply only to the affected area rather than the entire building. A trained ECO may take on this responsibility where the building manager has agreed to the process.

Survival Solutions provides comprehensive emergency management services across the Central Coast and Newcastle regions, helping protect properties and support the safety of building occupants.

With a strong understanding of emergency management requirements, we provide tailored solutions, including evacuation diagrams, emergency procedure manuals and trial evacuations.