Fire / Emergency Evacuation Policy

All staff will have fire and emergency evacuation training as part of their induction. Regular drills will help reinforce procedures. Fire and Emergency Evacuation practices will take place at least once every half term and the results will be recorded in the back of the register. Any member of the team can and should initiate a practice. Fire exits must be clearly marked, unlocked and accessible at all times. This is checked as part of our twice daily risk assessment and as needed. Fire extinguishers and fire alarms are checked by our landlord, the church and we carry out our own annual risk assessment in addition. The register must always be kept in a designated place to allow for easy access. This is on the kitchen hatch on the hall side during all sessions and if children are outside, it should be on a table nearest to the outdoor space. The register and visitors book must be collected when emergency evacuation takes place by the person who blows the whistle, or the manager/deputy or person closest, if safe to do so. There must be a whistle and rope ring set in each room including the hall, little room and a further set should always be taken outside whilst the children are outside. Every effort will be made to ensure an emergency evacuation, or a practice, does not alarm the children. FIRE / EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURE The manager or deputy are responsible for overseeing any evacuation Staff should (where safe) take the following from their room /area when evacuating. Children and staff Register Visitors Book Medication trolley Mobile phone Keys to the building Hi Visibility jackets Personal belongings should be left In the event of evacuation being necessary The person recognising the emergency will blow the whistle repeatedly and keep it with him/her. They will call out ‘evacuate.’ If safe to do someone will check the toilets, little room, the kitchen, storage areas, the garage, shouting ‘fire’ or ‘evacuation.’ Staff in each room or area should Calmly organise the children in their room or outside to hold on to the rope rings, if reachable, or hold hands and make their way to the nearest exit. Count of the number of children in their evacuation group. 70 WHYTEBEAMS NURSERY Gather and bring, if safe, items from their room/area such as medication, nursery mobile, register, visitors log. Lead the children out through to the nearest exit ensuring they all keep hold of the rope rings or hold hands and check that the last child in their group is out of the building. Staff should endeavour to close doors behind them if safe to do so in the case of a fire. Children and staff who are outside will make their way through the padlocked gates to the front of the building (the combination is on the daily risk assessment page in the register and also on the inside of the playhouse door in the garden) to meet the rest of the group. Calmy make their way to the assembly point by turning left towards Hilton Way, crossing the road safely just past that junction and assembling on the grassed area. If possible 2 staff should stand in the road wearing high visibility jackets to stop the traffic in each direction while the group cross between with an adult at the beginning and end of each rope line. If the group are evacuating as one large group, the same process as above will apply but the manager or deputy will lead the evacuation. Staff will calmly direct children to hold onto the rope rings or hold hands and follow the leader, crossing the road carefully, as above. Staff should bring the register, visitors book, mobile, high visibility jackets and medication trolley if safe to do so. Children should be counted out at the door by a manager, deputy or leader who checks the room is clear before joining the end of the evacuation line. The group should assemble at the evacuation and emergency assembly point. This is the grassed area on the junction of Wentworth Road and Hilton Avenue. Once Assembled The manager, deputy or leader should carry out a headcount of children with another member of staff double checking to establish all are present. If the manager or deputy are unaccounted for and not present then another staff member should take the lead role and carry out the headcount. The leader and another member of staff will conduct a head count of staff and check the staff register and visitor’s book to ensure all adults are present. The manager, deputy or leader should call the emergency services as soon as safely possible. Parents, carers and staff emergency contacts will be notified as necessary. The nursery owners will be informed. Once the emergency services arrive, direction will be taken from them and they will be given the names of any missing persons if applicable. The emergency services will decide if it safe to return to the building or not and in this instance, children will be sent home with the usual collection procedure in place. Staff will carry out usual security collection procedures and mark children out of the register or make a list of who has been collected. Staff will remain with children until they are all collected. Staff will be directed by the manager once the children have all been collected. Should a child or staff member suffer injury during the emergency and be taken to hospital by ambulance, parents or emergency contacts will be notified as soon as possible. It may be necessary to move from the evacuation point and the manager, deputy or leader will make this decision. Staff ratios will be maintained unless unforeseen emergency circumstances prevent this. Staff should not put themselves in danger to collect the register and visitors book and if they cannot be collected other measures will be taken by the manager or deputy to establish if anyone is missing. 71 WHYTEBEAMS NURSERY In the event of a closure following an emergency evacuation the same procedure will be initiated.