Emergency Fireground Evacuation Signal

PURPOSE:
The purpose of this procedure is to establish within METROFIRE a standard Emergency Evacuation Signal for the firefighter evacuation of buildings at an incident/fire scene such that all companies including mutual aid companies will recognize and react to such a signal. It is not the intent of this procedure to establish the criteria for such evacuations. Each community should develop its own criteria for and implementation of such evacuations.

STANDARD SIGNAL PROCEDURE:

When an Incident Commander determines building evacuation is necessary, the local procedures should be implemented.

The procedure shall include an audible Fireground Evacuation Signal consisting of a series of rapid short blasts of sounding devices for approximately 30 seconds. Sounding devices can be air horns, apparatus horns, or hand-held navigational horns. The signal shall be sounded from all practical building exposures.

NOTIFICATION:

When the Fireground Evacuation Signal has been ordered at a firescene involving Mutual Aid companies, the local Fire Alarm office shall notify Metrofire Control of the Evacuation order.

When such notification is received by the Control Center, the Control Center shall announce the Emergency Evacuation order and the incident over the radio system (Dispatch and Red channels) so that all mutual aid communities and responding units will be notified. The Control Center will use the Boston Evacuation Tone prior to and after the radio broadcast.

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