When an alarm sounds in an unprepared office, people hesitate, save files, look at each other — and lose the minutes that matter. An evacuation plan turns that confusion into a rehearsed routine: everyone knows the route, the assembly point, and who's checking that no one is left behind. Here's how to build a plan that works on paper and in practice, plus how to run drills that people take seriously.
Step 1: Map Your Escape Routes
Walk your floor and identify at least two exit routes from every work area, ending at a final exit to open air. Mark them on a simple floor plan along with extinguisher, manual call point and first-aid locations, and post the map at lifts, entrances and pantries — oriented the way the viewer faces. Routes must stay clear: no stored cartons in stairwells, no locked exit doors during working hours, and doors on the route should open in the direction of escape. Lifts are never part of a fire escape route.
Step 2: Appoint & Train Fire Wardens
Nominate one warden (plus a deputy for absences) per floor or per ~20–30 staff. Wardens sweep their zone — including washrooms, meeting rooms and server rooms — guide people to the stairs, close doors behind the sweep, and report 'zone clear' at the assembly point. Give wardens hands-on extinguisher and evacuation training yearly, and identify who needs help evacuating: prepare a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) with a buddy assigned for any employee with mobility, vision or hearing limitations.
Step 3: Assembly Point & Headcount
Choose an assembly point in open space, at a safe distance from the building and clear of fire-tender access routes. The headcount procedure decides whether firefighters search: team leads or wardens carry current staff lists (plus the visitor register — reception's job), count their people, and report missing names with last-known location to the incident coordinator, who briefs the fire brigade on arrival. Nobody re-enters until the fire service declares it safe.
Step 4: Write the One-Page Action Sequence
- On discovering fire: raise the alarm (shout + call point), call 101, attempt extinguishing only if trained, the fire is small, and your exit is clear — see when to fight vs flee
- On hearing the alarm: stop work, leave belongings, walk to the nearest exit, close doors behind you
- Wardens: sweep zone, assist PEEPs, report clear
- Coordinator: take headcount reports, brief fire brigade, control re-entry
- Everyone: stay at assembly point until released
Step 5: Drill Twice a Year — and Review
Run a full evacuation drill at least every six months (NBC and most state rules expect regular rehearsals; high-risk occupancies drill more often). Time it from alarm to final headcount, then hold a 10-minute review: Who didn't hear the alarm? Which route bottlenecked? Did wardens sweep every room? Fix issues, log the drill with date, timing and attendance — inspectors and auditors ask for this register during a fire safety audit. Vary scenarios occasionally: block one staircase, run it near shift change, or include a mock casualty.
Common Evacuation-Plan Mistakes
- Plans written for the fire file, not the floor — staff have never seen them
- Assembly point in the basement car park or blocking the fire tender's approach
- No visitor/contractor accounting — reception must bring the register out
- Wardens named once in 2019 and never re-trained or replaced after attrition
- Treating the drill as a tea break — leadership walking out last sets the tone
Discreet Fire and Safety Solutions designs evacuation plans, trains wardens and conducts certified mock drills for offices across Delhi NCR — turning your plan into muscle memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should an office conduct fire drills?
At least twice a year, with higher-risk or high-occupancy buildings drilling quarterly. Each drill should be timed, reviewed and recorded in a drill register.
What is a fire warden's role during evacuation?
Wardens sweep their assigned zone (including washrooms and meeting rooms), guide colleagues to exits, assist anyone with a PEEP, close doors, and report their zone clear at the assembly point.
What makes a good assembly point?
Open space at a safe distance from the building, away from fire-tender routes and falling-glass zones, large enough for full staff, with a defined headcount procedure.
What is a PEEP?
A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan — a pre-agreed arrangement (route, buddy, equipment) for evacuating an employee who cannot use standard escape routes unaided, such as wheelchair users.