emergency
​procedures

It is each tenant's responsibility to appoint a Floor Warden and members of an Emergency Preparedness Team to coordinate evacuation efforts in the event of an emergency.

The following is a brief description of the responsibilities of each member of the Emergency Preparedness Team. The Floor Warden will inform each member of the team of his or her responsibilities. The Floor Warden should also assign individuals to back up each member of the primary team in the event of vacation or illness.
There are five (5) primary positions of the Emergency Preparedness Team. Each of these individuals has an extremely important job to perform in the event of an emergency. The following contains extensive descriptions of the responsibilities of each of the members of the Emergency Preparedness Team.

Floor Warden:
The Floor Warden is responsible for emergency coordination and reporting of any potential or actual emergency condition to the Office of the Building at 312.525.8100. The Floor Warden is also responsible for organizing his/her Emergency Preparedness Team members and making sure emergency procedures are carried out correctly.

Duties:

• Primary coordinator for the entire Emergency Preparedness Team located on his/her floor. All correspondence, communication and notices will flow through the Floor Warden for dissemination to the rest of the team, and ultimately to the personnel on the floor.
• Assist in developing and enhancing emergency response procedures based on specific needs of the floor.
• Direct evacuation and responses to emergencies when they arise.
• Ensure that all Emergency Preparedness Team personnel know their assigned duties and locations in case of an emergency.
• Assist in training office personnel in evacuation procedures. Assist in conducting evacuation drills coordinated by the Office of the Building that will be conducted for each floor biannually.
• Provide the Office of the Building with the names of members of the Emergency Preparedness Team and update them in writing when changes occur.
• Provide the Office of the Building with the names and work location of individuals with special needs who would require assistance in an evacuation and update this list as necessary.
• Notify members of the Emergency Preparedness Team to evacuate the floor when their duties have been completed.
• The Floor Warden should be the last person to evacuate the floor.
• Notify Building or Fire Department Personal on the main level that your floor has been cleared or assistance is needed on the floor.

Searchers:
Under the supervision of the Floor Warden, Searchers are responsible for finding and evacuating all personnel from their work area of the floor. After the Searchers area is clear, searchers will inform the Floor Warden that the area is clear and follow any further instructions that are given by the Floor Warden.

Duties:

• Check all areas including offices, cubicles, conference rooms, file rooms, reception areas, washrooms, etc.
• Close all doors after being checked but do not lock them.
• Place a yellow Post-It Note knee high or lower on the doors that have been searched. These will inform building personal and the fire department that this area has been searched and evacuated.
• Advise all personnel encountered of the emergency and insist on their evacuation of the floor.

​Stairwell Monitors:
Under the direction of the Floor Warden, Stairwell Monitors are responsible for checking their assigned stairwell for fire or smoke and assisting in the orderly evacuation of personnel off the floor.

Duties:

• Take position at his/her assigned stairwell and assist personnel in evacuating the floor.
• Before opening the stairwell door, feel it with the back side of your hand, checking for heat; if no heat is felt, the stairwell door should be opened slowly to inspect the stairwell for heat or smoke before allowing anyone to use the stairwell for evacuation.
• If heat or smoke is encountered, the stairwell Monitor will remain by the door directing personnel to the other stairwell for evacuation. Remember, there are two stairwells at 101 North Wacker.
• Instruct personnel to form a single line and proceed down the right hand side of the stairwell.
• Supervise and monitor evacuation flow while remaining calm and encouraging calmness and orderliness in evacuating personnel.
• Be prepared to answer questions of personnel evacuating the floor; including relocation and other information evacuees may require.
• Remain at the stairwell exit until instructed to leave by the Floor Warden or a Searcher that has evacuated the floor or if the situation becomes unsafe at any time.
• Once reaching the relocation floor, check in with a member from the building staff relaying any information that you may have; i.e. the floor has been totally evacuated, someone with special needs is left inside the stairwell on the landing of the floor, etc.

Elevator Monitor:
Under the direction of the Floor Warden, Elevator Monitors are responsible for making sure no one tries using the elevators in the event of a fire evacuation. Once any of the building fire detection alarms is activated, all elevators are recalled to the lobby level of the building (Elevator/Fireman Recall) and are not available for use.

Duties:

• Be familiar with the building evacuation plan and the locations of all stairwells on the floor.
• Direct personnel to the nearest stairwell.
• Remain at the elevator bank until instructed by the Floor Warden or a Searcher that has evacuated the floor or if the situation becomes unsafe at any time.

Aide to Individuals with Special Needs
Under the direction of the Floor Warden, the Aide to Individuals with Special Needs is responsible for the evacuation of the disabled individual, pregnant woman, or anyone that may need assistance.

Duties:

• Assist the special needs person to whom he/she is assigned to the stairwell for evacuation of the floor. If the special needs person is unable to descend, the aid should stay with the person until all personnel have evacuated the floor and all personnel from the floors above have passed, and then place the special needs person in the stairwell on the floor landing. The aid can stay with this person or proceed down to the relocation floor to pass the information onto building personnel that someone is in the stairwell and needs assistance. Also, the aid can proceed to the nearest stairwell emergency phone to communicate with the Security staff at the lobby base fire emergency panel.
  
• Note that the stairwell emergency phones are located at every fifth (5th) floor landing. Building or Fire Department personnel will inform the fire department and they will bring the special needs person down for evacuation. The stairwells are double layered gypsum two hour fire rated walls. The special needs person will be safe within the stairwell until the fire department arrives. If the aid stays with the special needs person, the aid will inform the Stairwell monitor that both are staying within the stairwell and to inform building personnel of their location.

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