For the most part, building fire wardens are volunteers and must be very familiar with the fire procedures and escape routes in their building. In most cases, if safe to do so, they will be the last person to leave their designated area of the building, which rarely extends beyond one floor. Normally, fire wardens are not expected to try to determine the source of a fire or attempt to extinguish it. As outlined in the approved fire safety plan, their training is mandatory as per the fire code. This will ensure they are familiar with the occupant fire evacuation procedures in their building, as well as the nature of the fire alarm signals (single stage or two stage). Generally, a single stage fire alarm system is programmed so that once any manual pull station, automatic smoke or heat sensor, sprinkler flow switch, etc. is activated, the audibles deliver a steady tone throughout the entire building, requiring all occupants to evacuate the premise simultaneously. A two stage (including a modified stage) system is programmed to create a rhythmic pulse on the first stage to provide notification only to all the occupants regarding a potential threat of fire in the building. In the event of an actual fire emergency, the two stage feature is activated, delivering an accelerated signal of the audibles, and prompting occupants to evacuate the building.

In addition, fire wardens are to be familiar with the location of the fire exits in their area, as well as the locations of refuge for persons who may require assistance during an evacuation. Some building operators recommend their fire wardens wear an orange or red cap, or colored vest or arm band, so that they are clearly identifiable in their floor area. An additional duty of a fire warden or their designated supervisory staff is to check every room during an evacuation, including utility rooms and washroom facilities. An elected chief fire warden may be assigned to man the vehicle entry access point(s), preventing re-entry into the building by occupants, as well as maintaining continuous communication with the fire wardens. While there are common elements in all building fire evacuations, the actual procedures will almost always be customized in each fire safety plan given the diverse range of buildings and types of occupancy.

This article was contributed by Firepoint Inc, serving the GTA since 1997, developing fire department approved fire safety plans for newly constructed and existing buildings. See www.firepoint.ca or call 905-874-9400.

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