Fire Evacuation Procedure template
A fire evacuation procedure is the written sequence of actions everyone in your workplace follows when a fire is discovered or the alarm sounds — who raises the alarm, who sweeps which area, where people assemble, and who confirms the building is clear. It turns your fire risk assessment's findings into instructions a new starter can follow on their first shift.
Most workplaces that fail a fire inspection don't fail because they have no alarm — they fail because nobody can show that staff know what to do when it sounds. A written, trained, drilled procedure is the difference between an evacuation and a crowd.
This template gives you a complete, ready-to-edit procedure: discovery and alarm response steps, marshal duties, assembly and roll call, arrangements for people who need assistance, and the drill and training records that prove the procedure is live.
Full text, ready to adapt.
Highlighted fields are placeholders — replace them with your organisation's specifics. A starting point, not legal advice.
Fire Evacuation Procedure
SOP · Health & Safety
1. Purpose and scope
This procedure sets out how {{org.name}} evacuates [site/building name] in the event of fire or on activation of the fire alarm. It applies to all employees, contractors, and visitors on site, at all times the premises are occupied.
The procedure implements the emergency plan arrangements identified in our fire risk assessment, last reviewed on [date].
2. Roles and responsibilities
- Responsible person ([name/role]): owns the fire risk assessment, this procedure, and the drill programme.
- Fire marshals ([names/roles, one per zone]): sweep their assigned zone, assist evacuation, report to the roll-call lead at the assembly point.
- Roll-call lead ([name/role]): takes the register at the assembly point and reports missing persons to the fire and rescue service on arrival.
- All staff: know the escape routes from their work area, the assembly point location, and follow marshal instructions without delay.
3. If you discover a fire
- 1Raise the alarm immediately at the nearest call point — do not investigate first.
- 2Leave by the nearest escape route. Close doors behind you if it is safe to do so.
- 3Only attempt to fight the fire if you are trained, the fire is smaller than a waste-paper bin, and your exit is clear behind you.
- 4Call 999 from a place of safety and give the address: [full site address]. Do not assume someone else has called.
- 5Go directly to the assembly point at [location] and report to the roll-call lead.
4. When the alarm sounds
- 1Stop work immediately. Do not finish the task, save the file, or collect personal belongings.
- 2Shut down equipment only if leaving it running creates a greater hazard, and only if this takes seconds: [list any specific isolation steps, e.g. fryers, gas valves, machinery e-stops].
- 3Leave by the nearest escape route shown on the fire action notices. Never use lifts.
- 4Direct any visitors or contractors you are hosting to go with you.
- 5Report to the assembly point at [location] and stay there until the roll-call lead releases you. Never re-enter until the responsible person or the fire service declares the building safe.
5. Fire marshal sweep
- 1Put on your high-visibility identifier and sweep your assigned zone: [zone/room list per marshal].
- 2Check all rooms including toilets, meeting rooms, plant rooms, and stores. Close doors after checking.
- 3Direct anyone still in the zone to the nearest escape route.
- 4Do not put yourself at risk — if smoke or fire blocks the sweep, leave and report the unswept area.
- 5Report your zone status ("clear" or "not fully swept") to the roll-call lead at the assembly point.
6. Assembly point and roll call
The assembly point is [location — far enough from the building to be safe from falling glass and clear of fire service access]. The roll-call lead takes the register of staff on shift, checks visitors against the signing-in record, and collects marshal zone reports.
Anyone unaccounted for is reported to the fire and rescue service immediately on their arrival, with their last known location. Nobody re-enters the building to search.
7. People needing assistance (PEEPs)
Anyone who cannot evacuate unaided — permanently or temporarily — has a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) agreed in advance, naming their assistance arrangements, buddy, and refuge point. PEEPs are held at [location] and reviewed [frequency, e.g. every six months] and whenever the person's circumstances or work area change.
Visitors who need assistance are assigned a buddy on arrival as part of signing in.
8. Drills, testing, and training
- Full evacuation drill: at least [frequency — annually is a common minimum; higher-risk premises drill more often], covering every shift pattern over the year.
- Alarm call-point test: weekly, on [day/time], rotating call points, logged in the fire log book.
- Every new starter walks the escape routes and assembly point during first-shift induction, before working unsupervised.
- Fire marshals receive practical training on appointment and refreshers at [frequency].
- Each drill is logged: date, evacuation time, problems found, actions taken, owner.
9. Records and review
Drill logs, alarm tests, marshal training records, and induction acknowledgments are kept in [system/location] and retained for [period]. These records are the evidence an inspector, insurer, or fire investigator asks for first.
This procedure is reviewed [frequency, e.g. annually], after every drill that surfaces a problem, after any fire or near-miss, and whenever the premises layout, alarm system, or staffing pattern changes materially. Owner: [name/role]. Next review due: [date].
How to adapt this template.
Walk the building with the plans before editing anything — escape routes and assembly points must match physical reality, not the architect's drawing.
Name real people (and deputies) for every role. "The duty manager" only works if every shift actually has one.
Fill every [bracketed placeholder], then delete any section that genuinely doesn't apply — an unused section teaches staff to skim.
Cross-check the procedure against your current fire risk assessment; where they disagree, fix the assessment first.
Run a drill against the finished procedure within a month of publishing it — the drill will find the gaps your desk review missed.
Set the review date and owner before you publish, and train every current staff member on it, not just new starters.
Turn this template into trained, proven behaviour
A policy in a drawer proves nothing. In TrainedTeam this template becomes assigned training with knowledge checks, e-signature acknowledgments, version history, and an audit-ready record of who completed what, when.
Fire Evacuation Procedure template FAQs
Is a written fire evacuation procedure a legal requirement in the UK?
Employers must have emergency arrangements and ensure staff are trained in what to do in a fire — in England and Wales this comes from the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, with equivalent regimes in Scotland and Northern Ireland. For almost any workplace, a written procedure is the only practical way to meet and evidence that duty.
How often should we run a fire drill?
The law sets the outcome (staff know what to do), not a universal frequency — your fire risk assessment determines it. Most organisations run at least one full evacuation drill a year, and premises with shift work run more so that every worker experiences a drill. Log every drill: an unrecorded drill proves nothing.
Who can be a fire marshal?
Any competent member of staff who has received fire marshal training and is reliably present in the area they cover. The practical constraints matter more than the title: appoint enough marshals to cover every zone on every shift, including holidays and absence, and name deputies.
What is the difference between a fire risk assessment and a fire evacuation procedure?
The fire risk assessment identifies the hazards, who is at risk, and what controls you need — it is the analysis. The evacuation procedure is one of those controls: the written instructions everyone follows when the alarm sounds. The assessment decides what the procedure must cover; the procedure makes it operational.
Do we need PEEPs for temporary conditions like a broken leg?
Yes. A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan covers anyone who cannot evacuate unaided, whether the reason is permanent or temporary. A staff member on crutches for six weeks needs assistance arrangements for those six weeks — agree the plan when the circumstance arises, not during an evacuation.
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