Fire roll call

Our Fire Roll Call Services

The principles of a fire roll call are well-known. They should be communicated to all employees, facility users and visitors whenever they enter a building, using signage and staff induction processes. Components include:

• Roll call initiation, where a fire alarm or emergency evacuation signal is triggered, signalling that all occupants must evacuate immediately without recovering personal possessions. Alarms can be installed with manual activations, such as ‘break glass’ call points, or via an automatic fire and smoke detection system.
• Meeting and assembly points, with appropriate signage to direct individuals to their designated gathering point. These stations must be suitably distant from the building to ensure that those assembling are not exposed to risk in the case of a live fire.
• Roll call processes are conducted by a trained and appointed member of personnel, such as a fire warden or senior manager. The designated person may have a prepared register of all occupants or use digital systems to verify that every person thought to be present has been accounted for.
• Missing persons procedures ensure that, should anybody not respond to the roll call, this information is conveyed to emergency responders along with essential details such as where in the building they were last expected to have been. Note that fire wardens and other colleagues must never re-enter the building to look for a missing person.
• Clearance and re-entry occur when the property has been deemed safe to return to, either because the fire alarm has been verified as a false alert or because emergency responders have eliminated the threat.

The important element in every fire roll call procedure is that it is fit for purpose, tailored to the property or site, and implemented across the board, without any potential for misunderstandings about what an evacuation alarm means or when to smash a break glass point.

Building managers must also ensure they have policies, training and systems that meet their fire evacuation responsibilities, such as automated sensors, integrated sprinkler or fire containment systems, and shelters or alternative evacuation routes for site users unable to use stairs.

Combining Fire Roll Call With Access Control

Access controls are a popular solution for properties, compounds and premises. The specific features of these systems vary but normally include a touchpoint or entry site where visitors or employees need to verify their credentials or log their entry to be allowed access.

Organisations use access controls as a security measure, for workplace management and to ensure properties are correctly run, with oversight of periods of higher activity and an on-demand log of all persons within the site at any given time.

Transitioning an access control system to incorporate fire safety is a strategic remedy, using the functionality and data logged through access control devices to improve fire safety responsiveness.

Clearway’s hybrid service brings fire roll call and access control together in one efficient, streamlined solution.

When an alarm sounds, the emergency evacuation procedure goes ahead as normal, where occupants leave and assemble at their designated gathering point. The difference is that:

• Fire wardens and managers have an accurate, real-time report of everybody on site to automate and expedite headcounts, discovering faster if somebody is missing and mitigating the potential for any individual to be overlooked.
• Faster roll calls reduce risks to life and safety, identifying any potential concerns and communicating these immediately to emergency responders.
• The automated nature of access control means that each person will be logged when leaving the building, producing an updated fire roll call list.

Emergency responders with access to this level of accurate reporting can initiate more focused search and rescue efforts or proceed with fire control procedures with the assurance that the building has been successfully evacuated.