Fire wardens play a key role in keeping building occupants safe by assisting in evacuations and practicing fire prevention. Every building on campus has at least one fire warden coordinator and several fire wardens depending on building layout. Fire 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 emergency evacuation duties, staff who become fire wardens promote fire prevention.
See the Fire Safety SharePoint page for more information on the fire warden program.
Become a fire warden
The fire warden program is open to all University staff who wish to volunteer. In buildings with several area fire 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
Fire Warden Training (SO1040)
Responsibilities
Fire wardens
- Assist in building evacuations and 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.
Faculty evacuation coordinators
- 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
- Co-ordinate building evacuations and liase with faculty evacuation coordinators or appropriate authorities.
- Report any noticeable deficiencies in fire safety equipment to Plant Operations (ext. 33793).
- Appoint fire wardens and assign duties.
- 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).
- Maintain a list of building occupants requiring assistance to evacuate.
- Distribute air horns to wardens conducting fire watch duties.
