Wardens

Emergency Control Organisation

An "Emergency Control Organisation", or ECO, is the name given to the group of people who assist with the management of emergencies, especially evacuations, in every building of the University. The ECO is comprised of "Wardens" drawn from the occupants of the building. The responsibilities of the ECO during an emergency are to:

• conduct an orderly evacuation of the building's occupants, including members of the public who may be in the building at the time, to a safe place of assembly
• assist the emergency services
• operate portable fire fighting equipment in the building, if safe to do so

During any emergency situation control will be greatly assisted by the quick identification of Wardens by occupants and the Emergency Services. The use of coloured safety helmets best achieves this identification. The ECO may include trained First Aiders.

Building Emergency Controller - Chief Warden

A Building Emergency Controller (BEC) in each building adapts the model procedures in the EHS manual to the needs of the building, appoints and organises training for Floor Wardens and other designated emergency personnel who are members of the ECO, organises evacuation drills, and takes charge in the event of an evacuation emergency or drill. The BEC may delegate extra duties to members of the emergency evacuation team, or to building occupants.

Floor Wardens

On each floor of a building we appoint "Floor Wardens". These Floor Wardens are the workhorse of the ECO and perform the search and evacuation duties for the building. Each Floor Warden is assigned an area around them to check and inform building occupants that they need to evacuate. When their area is cleared, they report to the BEC relevant details about their search and wait for further instructions.