Fire Safety

Although we pray to never experience a fire in the Church, on behalf of everyone’s safety we occasionally practice fire drills.  Detailed below are the Church’s Sunday morning Fire Drill procedures:

Classroom Teachers and Youth Group Advisors:

• take attendance clipboard
• “lead teacher” should guide the children and youth down the main steps to the ground level and out the front door, near the elevator. Do not use the spiral staircase during a fire drill unless instructed to do so.
• “helper teacher” should follow the last child or youth is out of the room
• turn off lights
• proceed with the children to the grassy area of the backyard of the Eldredge Annex
• take attendance
• hold up classroom clipboard to identify class (the grade level of each classroom is posted on the back of the clipboards)
• report count to Karen Lapidus or whomever is leading RE in her absence
• stay and keep children and youth close until all have been picked up by parents/guardians.

Teachers who are in the building, but not teaching that morning:

• report to the nursery upon hearing the fire alarm
• assist Michelle Bores and the nursery helper in getting the little ones out the front steps to the grassy area behind Eldredge Annex
• stay and keep the babies and children close until all have been picked up by parents/guardians

Director of Religious Education:

• sound the alarm
• sweep the upper level of the church to assure that all have evacuated
• report that the upper level has been evacuated to Melissa and/or the Sexton who should be stationed (or will be stationed) by the front doors
• go to the grassy area of the backyard of the Eldredge Annex to help the teachers take attendance
• take report of attendance from the teachers
• release the children to their parents/guardians

 Sexton:

• upon hearing the alarm from Founders’ Lounge, sound the smoke alarm in Fessenden Hall
• activate the stopwatch at the sound of the alarm
• go to the ground level rooms
• direct anyone in Fessenden Hall to exit the building via either the front or kitchen door
• check all three bathrooms
• “sweep” Fessenden, the kitchen and the storage area to assure that everyone has evacuated
• turn off lights and shut all doors on the ground level
• go to the lower front door (or to the bottom of the steps) and inform Melissa (or whomever is leading the worship service) that the lower level is evacuated
• stop the stopwatch when Melissa has closed the door indicating that all are out of the 2^nd and 3^rd levels of the building

Minister and Worship Associate:

• instruct congregants seated on the east side of the sanctuary to exit out the lobby door of the sanctuary, towards Founders’ Lounge and then out the front door and down the steps
• instruct congregants seated on the west side of the sanctuary to exit out the back steps on the outside of the building
• instruct congregants without children to gather on the pavement behind the church, in the Franklin Township Building’s parking lot or the large parking lot, but not blocking the driveway to assure that any emergency vehicles can maneuver through
• instruct congregants who are parents/guardians to meet their children in the grassy area in the backyard of the Eldredge Annex and not to go up the stairs to retrieve them
• guide and assist folks as necessary
• exit the Sanctuary last, shutting doors and turning off the lights
• check the library
• check the elevator on the way out the front door
• when you are sure that the middle level has been evacuated, close the front door

Music Director (or other musician) and Greeter(s), Choir members, Worship Associates (in the building, but not involved in worship that morning) and Board Members:

• approach those who need special assistance leaving the building and assist them in getting to Founders’ Lounge
• get assistance from other people as needed
• Hal or other musician will get the wheelchair, located on the sanctuary level by the elevator and take it to Founders’ Lounge
• for the purpose of the fire drill, those with mobility challenges will not leave the building since it would involve going down the front steps
• in case of an actual fire, all the people listed above assist those with mobility challenges down the front steps and around the building to the back, transporting them in the wheelchair, as needed