F07 Building Evacuation Procedures 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary function of a designated assembly area during an evacuation?
- To store emergency supplies for occupants
- To provide a predetermined safe location where evacuees gather and are accounted for (Correct answer)
- To serve as a triage area for injured personnel
- To give fire fighters a staging area for equipment
Correct answer: To provide a predetermined safe location where evacuees gather and are accounted for
Assembly areas give evacuees a predetermined, safe location away from the building where personnel accountability can be taken to confirm everyone has exited safely.
Question 2: During an evacuation, occupants using stairwells should:
- Run as fast as possible to exit the building quickly
- Keep to the right to allow emergency responders to pass on the left (Correct answer)
- Use their mobile phones to call 911 while descending
- Stop on landings to allow others to pass
Correct answer: Keep to the right to allow emergency responders to pass on the left
Occupants should keep to the right side of stairwells during evacuation so that fire fighters and emergency responders ascending with equipment have a clear path on the left.
Question 3: What does the term 'shelter-in-place' mean in the context of a building emergency?
- Evacuating to the nearest parking lot or open field
- Remaining inside the building in a designated protected area rather than evacuating (Correct answer)
- Moving to the lowest floor of the building during all emergencies
- Locking all doors and windows and awaiting further instructions
Correct answer: Remaining inside the building in a designated protected area rather than evacuating
Shelter-in-place directs occupants to stay inside the building in a designated protected space when exiting would expose them to greater hazard, such as during a chemical release or severe weather.
Question 4: An 'Area of Refuge' in a building is specifically designed to:
- Store firefighting equipment for emergency responders
- Provide a temporary safe area for occupants with mobility impairments who cannot use stairwells (Correct answer)
- Serve as the building's primary fire suppression control room
- House the building's emergency generator and UPS systems
Correct answer: Provide a temporary safe area for occupants with mobility impairments who cannot use stairwells
Areas of Refuge are fire-rated spaces, typically near stairwells, where occupants with mobility impairments can wait safely for assisted evacuation by emergency responders.
Question 5: During a building evacuation, elevators should generally:
- Be used by able-bodied occupants to speed up evacuation
- Not be used by occupants because fire can disable them and trap riders (Correct answer)
- Be held at the ground floor for fire department use only during the drill
- Be reserved exclusively for occupants with disabilities
Correct answer: Not be used by occupants because fire can disable them and trap riders
Occupants should never use elevators during a fire evacuation because fire or heat can disable them, power can be cut, or smoke can infiltrate the shaft, trapping riders.
Question 6: What role does a floor warden typically play during a building evacuation?
- Operating the fire suppression control panel
- Ensuring all occupants on their assigned floor evacuate and reporting to the fire drill conductor (Correct answer)
- Maintaining contact with the fire department during the emergency
- Locking all offices and securing sensitive documents before leaving
Correct answer: Ensuring all occupants on their assigned floor evacuate and reporting to the fire drill conductor
Floor wardens sweep their assigned floor to ensure all occupants evacuate and then report accountability status to the fire drill conductor at the assembly area.
F07 Building Evacuation Procedures 1
What is the primary function of a designated assembly area during an evacuation?