Emergency wardens

Emergency warden team and duties

Emergency wardens help ensure orderly evacuations of RRU buildings. Wardens are generally responsible for one floor or in some cases portions of one floor of a building. 

Emergency captains assist wardens in communicating with Operations and Resilience personnel at assembly areas. If anyone is unable to be evacuated, emergency captains will relay the location and any other information necessary to Operations and Resilience personnel. 

Know your area

As an emergency captain, warden or alternate, you must check the building or floor where your assigned area of responsibility lies. 

• Get to know which offices and work stations are usually occupied, how many people normally work there, and where the fire alarms and fire extinguishers are located.
• You should also know the locations of exits and the assembly area outside of your building so that you can direct people in the event of an emergency. (Fire evacuation maps are posted in each work area on RRU campuses and they show the preferred evacuation routes and assembly areas for each building.)
• You should periodically inspect your escape routes (e.g., hallways and stairs) to check that no one is piling boxes, furniture or other obstacles that may interfere with an evacuation.
• Know the location of the evacuation chairs (two are located on each floor).
• Make sure to introduce yourself and your alternate to the staff in your area so they already know you in case of emergency. 

People who may need help evacuating

Someone in your assigned area may require assistance in evacuating the building. Here's what you can do to help: 

• Introduce yourself to them during your familiarization tour or as they come into your assigned area.
• Go through the normal emergency evacuation process with them to learn about any requirements they may have in a building evacuation.
• You may need to recruit a colleague to act as a "buddy" to help during an evacuation. 

Evacuation process

RRU uses a mass notification system on its Colwood and Langford campuses. 

Any time the fire alarm sounds in your building, it's considered an emergency. You will assist in evacuating the people on your floor using the "sweep and flee" process.

Sweep and flee

Wardens

• Put on your hard hat and vest and grab your emergency warden pack (includes your flashlight, evacuation report and pen)
• Walk quickly — do not run — through your assigned area and look into each office, workstation, and washroom where people may be located. Close doors and windows on your way out if it's safe to do so.
• Once you believe your assigned area is clear of people, go directly to the assembly area to assist in checking that all people who are typically in your assigned area are assembled.
• Complete an emergency warden evacuation report and submit it to the emergency captain.
• DO NOT return to your assigned area until given authorization by the emergency captain.
• The emergency captain will direct you when it is safe to return to your workplace. You may then communicate this update to people from your assigned area. 

Captains

• If you are the first emergency warden to reach the assembly area, you are the designated emergency captain.
• Collect all emergency warden evacuation reports and share the information with Operations and Resilience personnel.
• Operations and Resilience personnel will tell you when it is safe to return to your workplace. When they do, you can relay that message to emergency wardens and people from your assigned area.
• Evacuation reports are submitted to the RRU Safety and Environment Officer.  

Regular drills and review

Regular evacuation drills are part of the emergency preparedness and response program. Emergency wardens may take part in reviews after drills to determine if an evacuation was fast enough and safe enough. These reviews help spot problems or issues that can help improve evacuation procedures. 

Emergency evacuation is a shared responsibility within our university community. Everyone plays an essential role in ensuring a safe and efficient evacuation. By being aware of emergency procedures, responding promptly to alerts, and assisting others when needed, we help protect ourselves and those around us.