The Alarm Nobody Believed
At 11:40 pm you are the senior controller at a 900-capacity venue hosting a film premiere. The fire alarm activates on the kitchen zone. You see no smoke in the foyer, but you smell faint burning plastic. The duty manager says, 'It's just burnt toast - silence it, we're not stopping the screening.' About 600 people are inside. There are two marked exits: the main foyer doors and a side exit. The side exit is partly blocked by stacked chairs and a pallet. Near it are a wheelchair user and two people on crutches. Several staff are casual and have not been trained in evacuation. The building has an evacuation scheme. Your radio works, but the PA microphone is at the front desk.
1. Do you evacuate or investigate? Explain your decision and reasoning.
Read the worked answer
Evacuate. A fire alarm is a signal to act, not a suggestion to investigate until the cause is confirmed by someone competent. The faint burning plastic smell makes 'burnt toast' unlikely and raises the possibility of an electrical or kitchen fire. The duty manager can silence the alarm only after the cause is checked, and even then the safe default is to evacuate if there is any doubt. The venue has a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and its evacuation scheme to protect people, and the manager's commercial concern about the screening does not override that. Call Fire and Emergency New Zealand on 111, activate the evacuation, and tell the manager the decision is yours as senior controller on the floor. If the manager tries to stop the evacuation, state the risk and continue; escalate to the event safety lead. Do not silence the alarm before FENZ arrives unless directed by FENZ.
2. Set out your first five actions, including communication, exits, and assisted evacuation.
Read the worked answer
- Call 111 and report the alarm zone and burning plastic smell. 2) Use the PA at the front desk or a radio to give a calm script: 'Please leave by the nearest exit. Do not use the lifts. Follow staff.' 3) Send staff to clear the side exit - move the stacked chairs and pallet immediately - and station a controller there. 4) Assist the wheelchair user and the two people on crutches via the main foyer or the cleared side exit, using the agreed assisted-evacuation method; do not use the lift. 5) Sweep the screening room, toilets, and back-of-house, calling out, and close doors behind you if safe. Send casual staff with a more experienced person, not alone. Keep the exits clear and do not let people re-enter for bags. Meet at the assembly point, take a headcount by area, and report to FENZ.
3. What do you do after evacuation and what must be reported?
Read the worked answer
Keep people at the assembly point, away from the building and fire appliance access. Account for staff and key areas, and tell FENZ or the incident controller about the wheelchair user, the crutches, and anyone missing. Do not re-enter until FENZ declares it safe. Preserve the alarm log, CCTV, and the names of staff on duty. Report the blocked side exit, the untrained casual staff, the manager's instruction, and the alarm response to the event safety lead and the venue's health and safety officer. Complete an incident report with times, actions, and defects. The blocked exit is a serious breach and should be fixed before the next event. If the manager interfered with the evacuation, record that factually. Follow up with a review of the evacuation scheme and staff training.