Fire Evacuation Plan

Our Church Council and Trustees have had many discussions about church safety and security. Coming from those discussions, a sub-committee was formed to develop a Fire Evacuation Plan and also a Medical Emergency Plan. The Fire Evacuation Plan’s purpose is to protect the safety of all persons in the event of fire, smoke or other conditions requiring evacuation during worship services, meetings, and church activities. The plan has been reviewed by church members who are professionals in related safety industries.

Copies of the Fire Evacuation Plan are located in the Church Office, the Usher’s Office, the Sunday School Office, and the Children’s Nursery. A copy will also be located in the Catonsville Co-Op preschool rooms on the first floor of Asbury Hall.

The first item completed was creating digital floor layouts of each floor in the church building, including Asbury Hall. Versions of the floor layouts were created to show the evacuation routes and locations of emergency equipment throughout the building. These evacuation and safety equipment diagrams have been posted in every classroom, office, and meeting space with a “You Are Here” sticker so you can easily identify your current location and the nearest exit. Examples of these diagrams are on the rear side walls of the sanctuary. Every church pew and parlor chair also has a pew card with additional evacuation guidance.

The first rule of fire evacuation is do not use elevators. The three sanctuary exits are the Tower exit, the Melvin Avenue exit, and the Back Staircase through the Acolyte Room. Note the green emergency exit sign on the Acolyte Room door.

In the unlikely event that a fire evacuation occurs during a worship service, the Pastor or Worship Leader will announce the initial response.

There are several important roles during a fire evacuation.

First, our pastor or worship leader will offer calm spiritual and operational leadership. Second, our Ushers and Greeters will have responsibility to guide congregants to the exits and to ensure orderly evacuation.

Third, our teachers will have responsibility for our children’s safety. Teachers will evacuate the children from Asbury Hall to the grassy assembly area by Winters Lane. The Nursery Room attendants will evacuate nursery children out the front of the church to the assembly area across the street at the Melvin Avenue parking lot. Parents should meet their children outside at the assembly areas and should not go to the classrooms. Teachers will assure the children’s safe release to their parents or guardians at the assembly areas.

Fourth, our Facilities Manager or Evacuation Coordinator will interact with rescue personnel.

Fifth is the role of an Accessibility Assistant who will help people who may have difficulty evacuating independently. An Accessibility Assistant is someone who is physically able and willing to help individuals walk down the Melvin Avenue stairwell, which is the exit with the least amount of steps. Both Accessibility Assistants and those needing evacuation help would report to the Melvin Avenue stairwell to exit.

Upon exiting the building, you should head to one of the two assembly areas. Exits from the front of the church should assemble across the street in the Melvin Avenue parking lot. Exits from the back of the building or Asbury Hall should meet in the grassy assembly area by Winters Lane.

We acknowledge that any fire scenario would be unique to the location, day of the week, or time of day that it may occur. The Fire Evacuation Plan gives us the basic guidance for all these scenarios.

We will review the plan with the congregation on an annual basis. New member classes will include a review of fire safety, and the plan will be shared with all groups using the church building. The plan will also be available for review on our church website.

Please let Phil Bowman know if you have any questions or if you would like to provide feedback.

Thank you!