Preparedness

The Ownership and Management of 301 Congress take Fire and Life Safety very seriously. Our objective is to provide our tenants with a safe and comfortable working environment. With this in mind, this Emergency Procedures Manual was developed.

While the Fire/Life Safety Systems in the building are engineered to ensure the safety of all occupants in the building in the event of a fire, it is important that all individuals working in the building understand the building’s emergency procedures. However, each emergency is unique and sometimes the recommended procedures may not be suitable for all conditions that arise. Therefore, common sense should always be the primary element of any emergency procedure.

Please take the time to familiarize your entire staff with these procedures. If you have any questions regarding these procedures or any of the Fire & Life Safety systems in place at 301 Congress, please contact the Management Office.

Floor Response Team

At the time of move-in, each tenant is asked designate a Tenant Emergency Response Team. This team consists of designated personnel that will be responsible for taking charge in the event of a fire or other emergency. It is up to each tenant to assure that this team is formed and educated on how to handle an emergency. It is important to keep track of your team and make changes when designated personnel leave employment of the firm or for other reasons are no longer able to perform the outlined duties of emergency personnel.

While the Management Office may periodically host Floor Warden training meetings, the general responsibilities for the Tenant Emergency Response Team are outlined here. It is the responsibility of all Tenant Emergency Response Team personnel to familiarize themselves with these guidelines as well as all of the building’s Emergency Procedures.

The number of Primary & Secondary Floor Response Team positions depends on the size of your company. Please use the guidelines below:

• Single suite tenant: Please designate TWO Floor Wardens; a primary and a backup
  
• Multi suite tenant: Please designate TWO Floor Wardens; a primary and a backup
  
• Full Floor Tenant: Please designate at least FOUR Floor Wardens; 2 primary and 2 backups, it is advisable to divide up your space and assign Floor Wardens to specific areas or groups.
  
• Multi-floor Tenant: Please designate at least FOUR Floor Wardens; 2 primary and 2 backups, it is advisable to divide up your space by floor and assign Floor Wardens to specific areas or groups

General Guidelines for each role are below, this should not be considered an exhaustive list; each tenant will need to define the needs of their suite.

• Floor Warden - Responsible for controlling staff in event of emergency and explaining/overseeing all emergency actions. Each tenant should designate an Alternate Floor Warden in case the Floor Warden is out of the office when an emergency occurs.
• Stairwell Monitor - At direction of Floor Warden, leads employees to exit stairwells and monitors the safe and efficient evacuation via stairwells. Assists any handicapped individuals to the stairwell during an emergency and/or building evacuation.

Floor Warden Responsibilites

The Floor Warden should organize the floor response team. Each member of the building’s Floor Response Team has an extremely important job to perform in the event of an emergency. Each Floor Response Team designee should become familiar with the following duties.

Duties

• Appoints personnel to the Tenant Emergency Response Team and fills all vacant positions
  
• Maintains an updated roster of Tenant Emergency Response Team personnel
  
• Alerts Tenant Emergency Response Team designees of potential emergencies
  
• Supervises the activities and training of Tenant Emergency Response Team
  
• Responsible for informing and training Tenant Emergency Response Team in emergency procedures
  
• Ensures that Tenant Emergency Response Team know their assigned duties and locations in case of an emergency
  
• Pre-plans the handling of physically impaired personnel during evacuation
  
• Responsible for the evacuation of Tenant Emergency Response Team

Tenant Emergency Response Team/Stairwell Monitor Responsibilites

The Floor Warden should organize the Tenant Emergency Response Team. Each member of the building’s Tenant Emergency Response Team has an extremely important job to perform in the event of an emergency. Each Tenant Emergency Response Team designee should become familiar with the following duties.

Duties

• Takes position at assigned exits and assists in the evacuation of all personnel
  
• Feels stairwell door with back of hand for heat. If no heat is detected, opens door slowly to inspect stairwell for possible heat and smoke conditions before evacuation
  
• Instructs personnel to form single file lines in stairwell and directs personnel to exit along the right side of the stairwell
  
• Supervises and monitors evacuation flow while remaining calm and encouraging others to remain calm and orderly during evacuation
  
• Maintains an up-to-date list of impaired employees.
  
• Moves all personnel needing assistance to the stairwell and waits with them until emergency personnel arrive.

Fire

If a Fire is Discovered Inside Your Suite

1. Advise others and move everyone away from the fire
   
2. Confine the fire if able by closing all doors in the area
   
3. Notify the Fire Department (911) and provide the following information:
   • 301 Congress Building
     
   • 301 Congress
     
   • Corner of 3rd Street & Congress, entrance on Congress
     
   • Suite Number or Exact Location of Fire
     
   • Your call back number

Note: Do not hang up until the Emergency Operator does so.

4. Notify the Management Office.
   
5. Attempt to extinguish the fire only under the following conditions:
   • If the fire is small and can easily be extinguished.
     
   • You are familiar with the operation of an extinguisher and it can be done safely.
     
   • You have someone with you.
     
   • You have your back facing an exit.
6. Proceed to the nearest exit to evacuate. Exit via stairwells; do not use the elevators.
7. Once outside the building, move to a designated assembly area away from the building and Fire Department operations.

Note: fires need fuel, heat and oxygen to survive. you can reduce or extinguish fire by removing any one of these elements. for example, close doors and use extinguisher to reduce oxygen, throw water on the fire to reduce heat, and eliminate fuel sources.

If a Fire is Discovered Outside of our Suite:

If you are in your suite, smoke or heat is evident in the corridor, and you are not able to exit, proceed as follows:

1. Call 911 and provide the following information:
   • 301 Congress Building
     
   • 301 Congress
     
   • Corner of 3rd Street & Congress, entrance on Congress
     
   • Suite Number or Exact Location of Fire
     
   • Your call back number

Note: Do not hang up until the Emergency Operator does so.

2. Call the Management Office
3. Feel the door. If it is hot or warm, do not open it!
4. Close as many doors as possible between you and the fire.
5. If smoke enters your suite from beneath the door, seal the area with a fire blanket, wet towel or other misted material.
6. If smoke in your suite becomes unbearable, break a window for additional oxygen.
7. If your telephone stops working, display brightly colored material from the window. Wave it to make it more visible to rescuers.
8. Do not jump!

Fire Safety Reminders

1. Post Emergency Phone Numbers for all employees.
2. Make sure all employees are aware of the location of fire extinguishers and are familiar with how an extinguisher operates.
3. In a fire or other emergency, follow the instruction of your designated Floor Warden and other Emergency Personnel.
4. Never use the elevators unless instructed to do so; new methology in fire fighting allows use of elevators in some situations.
5. While it is usually advised to go downward in a building during a fire, there are occasions when it may be necessary to go to an upper floor or the roof. For example, if smoke enters the stairwell, you may be driven upwards toward cleaner air.
6. If you encounter smoke, get down on your hands and knees. Air is cleaner and cooler near the floor. Crawl to the nearest stairwell and exit if it is safe to do so.
7. Few people are burned to death in fires. Most fire-related deaths are the result of smoke inhalation, poisonous gas or panic. Panic can be avoided by being well prepared for an emergency. Learn all the emergency procedures as if they were second nature.

Fire Prevention Tips

1. Replace any electrical cord that has cracked insulation or a broken connector.
2. Do not pinch electrical cords under or behind furniture.
3. Do not run electrical extension cords under chair mats or across doorways where they can be stepped on or chaffed.
4. Leave space for air to circulate around heat-producing equipment such as copiers and computer terminals.
5. Turn off or unplug all appliances, including coffee makers, at the end of each workday.
   
6. Keep exits, storage areas and stairways free from waste paper, empty boxes, dirty rags and other fire hazards.
7. Know the locations of fire extinguishers in the building and your work area.
8. Remove trash on a regular basis.
9. Close all doors after working hours.
10. Discard all flammable liquids.
11. Observe the building’s NO SMOKING policies. Never throw matches or cigarette butts into waste containers (inside or outside of building).

Fire Extinguisher Location & Basic Operation

All extinguishers in the building may be used on fires originating from wood, paper, plastic, grease, oil and electricity.

Operating A Fire Extinguisher:

• To open the cabinet, pull on the handle.
• Remember the “P-A-S-S” method for effective fire extinguisher use:
  • P - Pull the safety pin. This is usually the pin with a string attached.
    
  • A - Aim the hose, nozzle or horn at the base of the fire.
    
  • S - Squeeze the trigger handle
    
  • S - Sweep from side to side and watch for the re-flash of the fire.

Note: always maintain a three-foot clearance area around fire equipment. once the equipment has been used, do not try to re-hang it, even for a few seconds. used extinguishers should be serviced immediately!

Fire Prevention / Procedures

• Do not accumulate quantities of discarded files or other paper trash in your office or storage area. Pay special attention to housekeeping in those departments that produce quantities of debris, such as duplication machines, mailing and receiving rooms.
• Do not store large quantities of flammable solvents, duplicating fluids, or other combustible fluids.
• Keep electrical appliances in good repair. Report unsafe conditions to the building office.
• When furnishing an office, consider the fire potential of materials used in large amounts, like overstuffed chairs, settees, couches or anything that could become a combustible item. Such furnishings should be flame-proofed.
• Where potential for fire is especially high, such as supply rooms, tenants may wish to consider installing additional fire extinguishers.

If you discover a fire, you should remain calm and:

• Pull the nearest fire alarm. Alarms are located in the corridors adjacent to the stairwells.
• Call 911 from a safe location.
• Evacuate or relocate and assist all others in the immediate area.
• Close doors behind you to isolate fire.
• Proceed to stairwells and listen for instructions. Never use the elevators.
• Be cautious when opening doors so as not to spread the fire.
• Touch any door to see if it is hot before opening.
• If smoke is present, stay low and crawl with your body against the floor. The clearest air is near the floor. If forced to make a dash through smoke or flame, hold your breath and cover your nose and mouth with an article of clothing.

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