By Jeff Wardon, Jr., Assistant Editor

A fire broke out at Chino Valley Medical Center in a medical office building near the hospital on Dec. 8 in Chino, California, The Mercury News reports. As a precaution, four ICU patients were evacuated to a nearby hospital due to the fire’s proximity and smoke. The fire itself was isolated to the office building and was extinguished without any injuries to patients, visitors, staff or firefighters. Other hospital operations were unaffected, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. 

Related: What Can Cause Fire Sprinklers and Alarms to Not Function?

Fires are dangerous and potentially deadly events for healthcare facilities to overcome, however, they are not impossible to conquer if prepared. Alert Media lists seven steps to developing an actionable fire evacuation plan: 

1. Document any fire risks: Getting an effective fire evacuation program created requires a solid grasp on a healthcare facility’s fire risks and associated hazards. Start with these basic questions to find out what fire-related threats are possible: 
   1. How could a fire break out? 
   2. What are the facility’s specific risks? 
   3. What complications might happen? 
2. Establish roles and their responsibilities: Staff look to their leaders for guidance when a fire happens, and evacuation takes place. Creating a clear chain of command with redundancies that say who has the authority to call an evacuation is essential. 
3. Identify escape routes, exits and rendezvous points: Have a main evacuation route and a backup route. Mark all the exit routes and fire escapes with clear wayfinding signage. Make sure exit routes are clear of any obstacles such as furniture, equipment or anything that could slow down evacuees.  
4. Develop a communication plan: When creating fire evacuation plans and running drills, appoint someone whose primary job will be to call the fire department and emergency services. Also have this person disseminate information to key stakeholders. Assess whether the established communication plan should include community outreach, transportation partners, suppliers or government officials as needed. 
5. Understand and inspect fire equipment: The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) suggests refilling reusable fire extinguishers every 10 years and replacing disposable extinguishers every 12 years. In addition, regularly remind staff about the location of the extinguishers in the workspace. Also create a schedule for making sure other emergency gear is updated and useable. 
6. Regularly drill on fire evacuation procedures: Doing routine fire drills helps staff be ready for the real thing and helps them understand what they need to do in the event of a fire. Use local fire codes for the healthcare facility to ensure safety requirements are met and that emergency services know the organization’s fire escape plans. 
7. Follow-up and reporting: An organization’s safety leaders must communicate and track real-time progress during a fire. 

Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor for the facilities market.