How important are fire wardens? 

Often, fire safety is only addressed if something goes wrong, and we want to help make sure this isn’t the case in your organisation. 

Following the advice of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it’s the duty of the responsible person to appoint one or more competent persons to assist them in providing a safe and compliant building, in the role of a fire warden. 

The number of fire wardens needed and the duties they’re responsible for depends on the size of the building and its usage, but most fire wardens will have standard duties. While these will involve being a point of contact in case of an emergency, they also have an active role to play in helping to prevent emergencies and this is something that a lot of businesses and organisations overlook. 

What do fire wardens do? 

First and foremost, they must receive adequate and regular fire training, to enable them to be both confident and knowledgeable in their role. 

The duties of a fire warden include but aren’t limited to: 

• Identifying potential fire hazards/ risks within a building
• Checking fire doors are in working order and kept closed
• Checking if there is adequate fire safety signage displayed
• Carrying out regular fire drills
• Keeping detailed and up-to-date records of all fire safety activities, logging any hazards, and noting when they have been rectified. 

In the event that there is an actual fire, a fire warden’s role is imperative. A competent fire warden should: 

• Raise the alarm and alert the emergency services
• Ensure everyone evacuates the building in a timely and safe manner, also making sure no one is left inside
• Be the first point of contact for the fire service when they arrive
• Close all doors and windows to prevent fire spread (if safe to do so)
• Ensure any vulnerable persons are evacuated in accordance with their PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan)
• Use firefighting equipment (if safe to do so) to help control the fire
• Assist in the roll call, accounting for all persons

If you need help getting your fire wardens up to speed with their duties, we offer a comprehensive Fire Warden Training Course, which can be tailored specifically to your needs. 

If you’ve got any questions or would like to arrange some training, get in touch with our Fire Safety Manager, Syd Barrett, on 01245 381900.