Fire Alarm, Lockdown, and a Trapped Colleague
At 10:05 the fire alarm activates in the warehouse. Your panel shows the zone as the packing area. Simultaneously, the intruder alarm on the rear fire door shows 'door forced'. CCTV shows smoke near the packing line and a person running toward the rear door. A colleague is in the server room next to the control room and radios that she smells smoke and the door is warm. The site evacuation procedure says all staff muster at the front car park. The fire brigade has not been called.
1. What are your priorities in the first two minutes, and in what order?
Read the worked answer
Life safety first, then confirmation, then containment.
- Call the fire brigade immediately. Do not wait for confirmation. The panel shows a fire zone and CCTV shows smoke; that is enough. Give the address, zone, and that people may be inside.
- Activate the evacuation and make the announcement, directing staff to the front car park muster point. Start the fire alarm sounders if not already active.
- Radio your colleague and tell her to leave the server room by the nearest safe route, not to investigate. If her route is blocked, tell her to close the door, stay low, and signal her location; pass that to the fire brigade.
- Treat the forced rear door as secondary. Note it, preserve the alarm and footage, and tell the fire brigade and police liaison later. Do not chase the intruder while a fire is developing.
- Log times for each action and keep the radio channel clear for the evacuation.
The order matters: calling the brigade and getting people out outranks investigating the door alarm or reviewing footage.
2. The fire brigade arrives and asks you for information. What do you give them, and how do you handle the intruder alarm at the same time?
Read the worked answer
Give the fire brigade a concise, structured briefing:
- Location and zone of the alarm and where smoke is visible.
- Any persons unaccounted for, including your colleague's last known location and condition.
- Hazards you know of: server room, packing materials, and any chemicals or gas on site.
- Access routes and the muster point, plus who is the site fire marshal.
- Changes since the alarm, such as the forced door.
For the intruder alarm:
- Do not divert resources from the fire response. Note the time, preserve the alarm log, and export footage of the rear door.
- Inform the fire brigade that a door was forced, in case it is relevant to access or safety, and ask them to preserve that area.
- Request police attendance separately once the fire situation is stable, and pass the footage and log through the proper channel.
The judgement is that two alarms at once require triage. Fire and life safety take precedence; the crime scene is preserved but not pursued until people are safe.