Emergency wardens play a key role in keeping building occupants safe by assisting during emergencies, evacuations and practicing fire prevention. Every building on campus has at least one emergency warden coordinator and several emergency wardens depending on building layout. Emergency wardens assist with evacuations by verifying that workspaces are properly evacuated. They also help guide the occupants to form up areas identified for each building. In addition to evacuation duties, staff who become emergency wardens promote fire prevention and knowledge of what to do in various emergency situations.
Become an emergency warden
The emergency warden program is open to all University staff who wish to volunteer. In buildings with several area emergency wardens, a warden coordinator is identified to coordinate the program with the direction and assistance of the Safety Office and faculty coordinator, if applicable.
If you are interested in promoting fire prevention and life safety within your building, please contact the Safety Office.
Training
Emergency Warden Training (SO1103)
Responsibilities
Emergency wardens
- Assist with building evacuations and during emergencies.
- Act as a point of knowledge within the building to assist with emergency response.
- Promote fire prevention.
- Notify supervisors of fire safety concerns.
- Advise all personnel within their area to evacuate using the nearest exit during evacuations.
- Close all doors.
- Leave the building and direct occupants to the building’s form up area.
- Notify University of Waterloo Special Constable Service or other authorities if anyone is unaccounted for or were unable/unwilling to leave the building.
- Participate in debriefings after evacuations.
- Are not expected to put themselves at risk or in danger.
Faculty emergency warden coordinators
- A faculty representative that coordinates the emergency warden program within their faculty buildings.
- Appoint building evacuation coordinators.
- Review the evacuation plan with the Safety Office every 2 years.
- Maintain and circulate the evacuation plan.
- Inform building evacuation coordinators and the fire wardens of any structural changes due to renovations.
- Review the evacuation plan with building evacuation coordinators and hold evacuation drills at least annually.
Building evacuation coordinators
- A person assigned in each building to manage the operational aspects of the emergency warden program.
- Assign emergency wardens to zones.
- Provide oversight during an evacuation or emergency response within the building.
- Co-ordinate building evacuations and liaise with faculty evacuation coordinators or appropriate authorities.
- Report any noticeable deficiencies in fire safety equipment to Plant Operations (ext. 33793).
- Inform the appropriate authorities of the location of persons requiring assistance during an evacuation.
- Define areas requiring special attention in the event of a building evacuation (e.g., computer rooms, hazardous processes, cash).
- Assist with fire watches, if required by Plant Operations.