A fire is a serious emergency, and it happens at any time. If you or your employees don’t have a plan in place for this type of situation, you could suffer major losses—in both the short and long term. A fire leaves your business uninhabitable for months or even years after the initial event, which means many businesses that have their assets damaged by fires have to shut down until they recover from the damage and rebuild their facilities.

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When developing your own fire preparation plan, remember:

  • It's important to be prepared for a fire before it happens; otherwise, you may not get another chance if one does occur!
  • Developing a plan that includes steps for employees to follow in the event of an emergency is critical because it ensures everyone knows what they need to do when faced with an unexpected situation.

Prepare Emergency Action Plan

An emergency action plan is a document that details how to react in the event of an emergency, such as an earthquake or fire. While most businesses have some kind of emergency procedure in place, there may be additional precautions that can be taken before an incident occurs. Implementing an emergency action plan saves lives during a fire emergency.

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An effective business continuity plan includes training employees on how best to deal with emergencies and implementing procedures based on those lessons learned. Asking questions like these will help ensure your business has all the necessary documentation: Who should be trained? What type of training do they need? When should this happen?

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Develop an Evacuation Plan

Developing a fire evacuation plan is the first step towards ensuring your business is prepared in the event of a fire. Your business should have designated meeting places outside, including safe areas for employees with disabilities and pets. Your employees should know how to evacuate safely, preferably by using stairs rather than using elevators. You should also develop an emergency action plan so you can communicate effectively with your employees when there’s no time for discussion during an emergency situation.

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Train Your Team

Training your team is the best way to ensure everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire. This includes training on evacuation, fire extinguisher use, and how to react when someone smells smoke or hears an alarm.

Employees should know where all exits are located in case you need them to evacuate the building quickly. Make sure that all employees know where these exits are located, as well as alternate routes. Employees should also understand how to use fire extinguishers correctly if one is needed during an emergency situation at your business.

Consider Possible Damages

Even if you've never had a fire drill before, it's important to consider what would happen if your business did catch on fire and how quickly everyone could get out safely. Are employees familiar with all of their exits? Are there multiple modes of escape in case one path isn't accessible? What happens when someone doesn't know where he needs to go—or when he becomes separated from his group during an evacuation? These are questions worth asking before an actual emergency arises so that once disaster strikes, everyone knows exactly what they need to do next.

Install Fire Suppression System

A fire suppression system is installed in the building of every workplace. It is required by most fire departments that a business building stay up to code. Fire suppression systems are good investments and a good way to prevent fires.

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Building-based systems use pipes or sprinklers to deliver water to a fire once it has started. These systems are usually installed near exits, so that they may be used to prevent any further damage from occurring before firefighters arrived on the scene.

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Workplace-based systems spray chemicals over an area where there is a potential threat of fire or explosion happening. This helps control or suppress a small fire until firefighters arrive on the scene and put out larger flames with water hoses if necessary.

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It’s time to get serious about fire safety before it’s too late. If you are not prepared for this type of situation, it could result in injuries or death for both employees and customers. It is important that you have a plan in place so that everyone knows what their role should be during an emergency situation. It’s easy to put off fire safety, but it’s better to be proactive than reactive. Once you have the right plan in place, you’re rest assured that your team and business are ready should a fire break out! 

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