Toronto Fire Services Emergency Voice Alarm Communication (EVAC) Systems PDF

Standard Operating Guideline EMERGENCY VOICE ALARM COMMUNICATION (EVAC) SYSTEMS Date Issued: May 28, 2020 Rescinds: March 29, 2019 Section: Incident and Emergency Operations File Code: G-EVAC PURPOSE To provide all Toronto Fire Services personnel with a guideline for using Emergency Voice Alarm Com...

Standard Operating Guideline EMERGENCY VOICE ALARM COMMUNICATION (EVAC) SYSTEMS Date Issued: May 28, 2020 Rescinds: March 29, 2019 Section: Incident and Emergency Operations File Code: G-EVAC PURPOSE To provide all Toronto Fire Services personnel with a guideline for using Emergency Voice Alarm Communication (EVAC) systems in buildings. RESPONSIBILITY All personnel are responsible for being familiar with the operation of EVAC systems. The Incident Commander is responsible for ensuring that EVAC systems are utilized at incidents. GENERAL Voice Announcement Cards Two (2) laminated Voice Announcement Cards shall be issued to Captains and Acting Captains in the Operations Division. Voice Announcement Cards shall be carried by Officers into all incidents. Incident Operations Lobby Control may request additional personnel from the Incident Commander to aid with Lobby Control duties, including EVAC system responsibilities. The person assigned the EVAC system responsibility may or may not be an Officer. The person assigned the responsibility of the EVAC system should be advised regularly by the Incident Commander of the status of firefighting operations or other information relevant to the emergency. Page 1 of 3  Standard Operating Guideline Voice Announcements Announcements should be made under the direction of the Incident Commander as follows: on arrival of apparatus; to inform building occupants that TFS personnel are on scene and investigating the situation during the investigative and operational phases of the incident; to update building occupants at regular intervals with relevant information for evacuation purposes; to offer specific instructions and direction to occupants for general evacuations, floor by floor evacuations, specific zone or area evacuations and specific stairwell selection and use before clearing the location; to advise occupants of the incident status and when normal activities may resume Every announcement made by TFS personnel on the EVAC system shall be repeated three (3) times. At the conclusion of the last voice announcement, the person in charge of the EVAC system will announce “there will be no further announcements”. Reporting Officers shall record all use of EVAC systems and announcements made during each emergency response on the Emergency Incident Report. EVAC Familiarization All firefighting personnel should familiarize themselves with building EVAC systems located in buildings within their response area. This familiarization should take place during the following occasions: At the conclusion of a response to a building Routine building familiarizations Scheduled tours Unscheduled building tours approved by building staff Page 2 of 3  Standard Operating Guideline Firefighting personnel should familiarize themselves with the following: Location of the EVAC system Location/presence of a Central Alarm Control Facilities (CACF) room Key Location and access Operating switches (fans, elevator, etc.) Labelling Microphone operation Other system features (eg. Firefighter telephones) Ordering Additional and replacement Voice Announcement Cards for personnel shall be stocked at Quartermaster and distributed accordingly upon request. Officers should complete a Requisition for Voice Announcement Cards when needed. ATTACHMENT(S) Voice Announcement Card RELATED SOGS G-FFOH – FIREFIGHTING OPERATIONS IN HIGH RISE BUILDINGS Page 3 of 3