Evacuation Plan for Shopping Malls

As soon as you consider the size of the average mall and the number of patrons that may be inside at any given time, it’s immediately apparent that having an efficient evacuation plan is vital for fire safety and code compliance. If you own or manage a shopping mall in Maryland, DC, or Virginia, it’s your responsibility to create a formal Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan to help everyone exit the building safely and quickly in an emergency. Here’s how.

Create a Written Plan

The written portion of a mall evacuation plan outlines the following:

• Techniques for notifying mall patrons and the fire department of the emergency
• Evacuation routes and life safety strategies for evacuating occupants who need assistance
• Crowd management techniques to keep everyone calm despite the emergency
• Methods for maintaining and controlling fire hazards

Map Out an Evacuation Diagram

Obtain a floor plan of your shopping mall and draw it out using computer software. Then map out the following locations:

• All exits, exit stairs, and exit corridors
• Primary evacuation routes
• Secondary evacuation routes in case the primary routes are blocked
• Accessible egress routes and areas of refuge for people with physical disabilities
• Exterior gathering sites for assisted rescue
• Manual fire alarm pull stations
• Portable fire extinguishers
• Hose pipe/standpipe stations
• Fire alarm annunciators and controls

Map Out a Site Plan

A site plan refers to the property surrounding the mall. It must include:

• A simplified floor plan of the mall showing all exits and the exterior gathering site for assisted rescue
• Fire hydrant locations
• Traffic routes of fire department vehicles, including fire lanes

Get Help Creating Evacuation Plans for Shopping Malls

You must submit a Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan to your local Fire Marshal for review and approval. Failure to comply with fire codes could lead to occupancy denial. To simplify this process and avoid complications, let Guardian Fire Protection help you create a code-compliant evacuation plan for your shopping mall. We serve the Maryland, DC, and Virginia areas with the knowledge and experience that comes with over 30 years of fire protection experience.

In addition to helping you create a mall evacuation plan, we can also perform other services for your mall, including fire protection system installation, inspections, testing, maintenance, repairs, and replacements. For help getting your shopping mall evacuation plan started, or to schedule other fire safety services, please contact Guardian Fire Protection today.