When creating or updating your facility’s emergency response plan, rethink the rallying point. Often emergency response plans include a rallying point where occupants will gather outside of the building in the event of an evacuation. While useful during drills for headcounts or event recap, in an actual emergency the safety of the rallying point will be unknown. The local fire and police authority will make the determination of a safe gathering place. To avoid confusion during the crisis, instead of training facility occupants to automatically go to a specific location, prepare them to receive instruction on the street. They should know what to look and listen for and who to expect will give the instructions, for example building security in orange vests or local fire department personnel.
