What is Total, Staged, and Defend-in-Place Evacuation?

Total evacuation is "everyone gets out at once", staged evacuation is "those nearest danger get out first, those in less danger, wait their turn", defend in place is "get behind a closed fire door and wait to be rescued".



By Douglas Krantz



For their own safety, when the fire alarm sounds, people want to get out of a burning building. Sometimes, though, there's a hitch in people's ability to evacuate; some buildings are easier to get out of than others:

• Smaller buildings have easy escape routes
• High rise buildings aren't easy because they don't have many escape routes
• Hospitals, healthcare institutions, and prisons aren't easy because the residents can't just get up and leave

Each of these situations is different, and each requires its own specialized method of fire evacuation.

Total Evacuation -- Smaller Buildings

Like a school, with Total Evacuation, if the alarms sound, they sound simultaneously everywhere. Everyone hears the fire horns or speakers, stops what they were doing, and withdraws from the building using fire exits.

In case of fire, smaller buildings are evacuated right away.

Staged Evacuation -- High-Rise Buildings

When there is a fire, if the escape routes are not large enough to handle everyone in a building at once, Staged Evacuation is the orderly withdrawal of people.

In Staged Evacuation, the alarm sounds near the fire. It's like shouting only to those in immediate danger, get out! The alarm sounds in the zone of incident (fire floor) and all adjacent zones (floor above and below).

For the rest of the occupants, there is either silence or an alert sound. It's telling everyone else in the building, those who aren't near the fire, "Stay where you are. Let those in danger get away, after that it's your turn."

Defend-in-Place -- Hospitals, Healthcare Institutions, and Prisons

Hospitals, nursing homes, and even prisons present special problems because the people residing in there just can't just leave the building on their own.

In the case of hospitals, people often aren't able to get out themselves, or are put in danger by moving to what for others would be a safe place.

Residents in nursing homes are physically or mentally incapable of fending for themselves, and need assistance.

Prisons, of course, are a place where the residents aren't allowed to leave.

In a Defend-in-Place building, three different types of evacuation take place at the same time:

1. Progressive -- Those in immediate danger get moved to a safe adjacent zone in the building
2. Defense -- Those not in immediate danger are moved behind protective doors
3. Evacuate -- Those who can leave, and are not needed to assist in the Progressive or Defense procedures, exit the building

Fire Alarm Evacuation

Which method of evacuation people use -- Total Evacuation, Staged Evacuation, or Defend-in-Place -- depends on how easy it is for them to use the exits.

However, whether it's a Total getting out of the building that's on fire, a Staged withdrawal from the building, or Defend-in-Place inside the building, evacuation is still people protecting themselves from a fire.