It is a requirement in our buildings that we know what to do in the event of...

Work has begun on checking the status of our approved evacuation schemes with Fire and Emergency NZ. So far, it has been discovered that we have vast amounts of room for improvement!

Putting together an approved evacuation scheme is part of our Emergency Response Plans. All of our non-residential buildings require an Emergency Response Plan, and most of those buildings will require a FENZ-approved evacuation scheme.

Is your building one that must have an Emergency Response Plan?

Does your parish or church entity manage one of the following?

• Church
• Hall
• School
• Early Childhood Education Centre
• Camps
• Meeting rooms
• Aged care facilities

Then the building must have an Emergency Response Plan. Contact Trudy if help is required to create the ERP.

Is your building one that must have a FENZ-approved evacuation scheme?

The landlord is responsible for ensuring the upkeep and 6-monthly practice of the FENZ-approved evacuation scheme. Therefore if you are not the tenant in the building you manage, you are still required to ensure the evacuation scheme is in place and that it is practiced every 6 months.

Contact me if you would like assistance or to check if this applies for your building. Alternatively, contact FENZ; they are very helpful!

Review your plans – this is important!

Some of our buildings evacuation schemes are from the last century! So, resubmit your plans if:

• the building or building complex has been renovated
• the contact person on record has changed
• the last submitted plan is over seven years old
• the last submitted drill was over five years ago

Access the guidelines and templates for Emergency Response Plans, including the FENZ approval process, here.

Contact me if you would like assistance, I am here to help.

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa

Nā Trudy Downes
trudyd@methodist.org.nz
027 457 4196