Phil: It’s really important that you know what to do when the fire alarm goes off.
Rene: We all have to leave the building, don’t we?
Phil: Yes, that’s right. But there a few things to remember. The first thing is to get out of the building as quickly as possible so don’t stop to pick up your belongings, you know, your bag or your coat for example.
Rene: OK. I think it’s safe to use the stairs but not the lift. That is right?
Phil: Yes it is. Always use the stairs. Look for the green signs to the nearest fire exit. I’ll show you the fire escape, you know, the metal staircase outside the building, just so you know it. And I’ll also show you the push bar emergency doors.
Rene: Oh yes, I’ve seen some of these doors. We can’t usually open them, can we?
Phil: That’s right, because if you do, the alarm will go off. But you should use them in an emergency there’s a green sign on them that says ‘push bar to open’ so you know it’s an emergency exit.
Susana: I see – so I just wait outside the building then?
Phil: No, but we go to one place so that we know everyone is out safely. This is called the assembly point. The assembly point is at the back of the building on the pavement by the big tree. Then we wait unit the fire marshal tells us we can go in again.
Susana: OK. Thank you for explaining this to me.
Phil: Well, we want you to be safe at work. Just two more things you need to know. Every Wednesday morning at eleven you’ll hear the alarm for a few seconds. This is just a test, you know, to make sure the alarm is working. And sometimes, but not very often, there is a fire drill, you know, for practice. This means the alarm will keep ringing and we don’t know if it is a real emergency or not so we must get out quickly.
We don’t do fire drills very often but they’re very important because this way everyone learns exactly what to do when the alarm goes off.
So that’s it. Any questions?
Susana: When can you show me the fire escape and push bar doors?
Phil: I’ll do that right now.
Do you know what to do if there is a fire in the building you work in? In this resource Susana and Rene are attending a training course about fire safety and evacuation. You will learn important words to help you understand fire procedures.