At least one copy of your fire emergency procedures is required to be prominently posted and maintained in each floor area. In a hotel establishment, one copy of the approved fire safety plan shall be posted in the main reception area, and a copy of the emergency procedures, location of exits and the fire safety rules shall be posted on the inside of the egress doors of each guest suite.
Where a fire alarm system has been installed with no provisions to transmit a signal to the fire department, a legible notice, that is not easily removed, shall be affixed to the wall near each manual pull station with wording that the fire department is to be notified in the event of a fire emergency, including the emergency telephone number for the municipality or the telephone number of the fire department.
By now you must have seen “In case of fire” signage, which provides written information on the procedures required upon discovery of a fire or upon hearing a fire alarm. These posted emergency procedures may have slight variations depending on your buildings fire protection systems.
In case of fire signage instructs building occupants to:
- Leave the fire areas immediately. Statistics show it is best practice to evacuate a building as soon as possible. Fire can double in size in as little as a minute putting building occupants at greater risk when delaying an evacuation. Individuals are in greater danger when they are located on the fire floor, if the fire is immediately above or below the fire and if the fire floor is below them in a high-rise building.
- Close all doors behind them. This act will greatly reduce the speed smoke and fire will spread which will help limit injury’s while increasing evacuation time.
- Sound an alarm. This means notifying building occupancy verbally that there is a fire emergency or with the use of a fire alarm system which can be activated by using a manual pull station. It's important to notify building occupants as soon as a fire emergency is detected. Your building may have further emergency procedures that will be implemented at this stage.
- Evacuate the building by the nearest exits. All building occupants should be familiar with the locations of their emergency exits. An alternative exit may be required if you encounter smoke or find an exit blocked. Remember, elevators are not available for use during a fire emergency.
- Execute applicable alternative measures such as defending in place or use an alternative exit. Some emergency procedures provide information on what to do if you are unable to evacuate a building. These procedures provide knowledge on how to defend in place, such as by closing all doors and blocking all airways that may permit smoke as well as notifying the fire department of their location.
Restaurants that operate with the use of commercial cooking equipment require the instructions for the manual operations of the fire protection system. These instructions are to be posted conspicuously in the kitchen area.
It is vital that everyone is able to access emergency and public safety information. Your building or organization is required to provide this information through varying methods. It's your job as the owner or a representative of the owner to meet these requirements or you can be held liable. Safety Media will provide cost-effective solutions to meet your needs.
Need help ordering an In Case of Fire Sign?
With 600+ In Case of Fire Signs we understand that it may be overwhelming to choose the right one for your building. That's why we've created guide to break down the logic of our signage to help you come to the right decision.
Where To Start
Step 1
Signs are chosen by primarily their alarm type. We offer wording for the following alarm types:
- Single Stage
- Two Stage
- Temporal Two Stage
- No Alarm
- Kitchen Alarm
- Hotel/Condominium/Apartment Alarm
Step 2
Once you've picked your alarm type you can choose the specific wording sections which we've broken down below.
Step 3
Select your material and accessibility:
Wording Sections
With the exception of the No Alarm signs and the Kitchen/Hotel/Apartment/Condominium options, these signs are broken down into 4 different wording sections with an optional 5th wording section. Wording is available in English, French and two bilingual options: English left & French right or French Left & English Right.
Section 1: Upon Discovery of a Fire
This section remains the same between the signs. This section gives instructions to follow in the event of discovering a fire.
Section 2: Elevators/No Elevators
This section changes among the different wording options. If your building has an elevator a sign can be selected with the wording "Do Not Use Elevator". If your building does not have an elevator there are sign options that leave this section blank.
Section 3: Alarm Type & Instructions
This section gives instructions for actions to take upon hearing a fire alarm. This section offers wording options for Single-Stage, Two-Stage, and Temporal Two-Stage alarms.
Section 4: Caution/Extended Caution
This section includes instructions for encountering smoke. This section can either give the instruction to find an alternative exit or it can be extended to give instructions for defending in place.
Section 5: (Optional) False Alarm
This section is available with certain wording options. It includes consequences under the Criminal Code for a False Alarm.
Our Entire Selection of Wording Options
Take a look at Safety Media's In Case of Fire Sign wording options: