Emergency evacuation plan template.

In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 provides the main framework for fire safety in relevant non-domestic premises. Fire precautions, risk assessment, emergency arrangements and training sit under separate duties that already apply. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different fire safety legislation.

Martyn’s Law concerns appropriate procedures when terrorism is suspected on the premises or nearby. An evacuation route or meeting point chosen for fire may lead towards a terrorist threat. Depending on the danger, moving people within the premises or securing an area may be more appropriate.

You can keep the arrangements in one document, but make the triggers and instructions clear for each situation. Do not use lockdown arrangements that undermine required fire escape.

The four public protection proceduresWhat invacuation meansWhat dynamic lockdown means

Begin with the information someone needs to understand the premises and contact help. Use a site plan where useful and identify any shared routes or controls that another operator manages.

Plan for the people who actually use the building, including visitors unfamiliar with it and people who need assistance. Do not leave assistance arrangements to an assumption that someone else will help.

• Premises name, address and useful location information.
• Areas, activities and periods covered by the plan.
• Plan owner, version and review date.
• Duty lead, deputy and the authority to begin each procedure.
• People needing assistance and the arrangements relevant to their needs.
• Shared premises contacts and responsibilities for common routes or controls.

Base this section on the premises’ fire risk assessment and appropriate fire safety advice. GOV.UK’s evacuation guidance covers clear escape routes, enough suitable exits, doors that open easily, emergency lighting where needed and employee training.

Record the arrangements people must follow, including the assistance available. A generic template cannot decide whether the building’s exits or fire precautions are adequate.

• How a fire is reported and the alarm raised.
• Who calls the fire and rescue service.
• The evacuation arrangements for each area and the routes to use.
• How escape routes remain clear and emergency doors usable.
• Assistance arrangements, including relevant equipment and people trained to use it.
• The fire meeting point and how staff are accounted for.
• How emergency services receive information about anyone believed to remain inside.

Consider danger within the premises, at an entrance and in the immediate vicinity. Identify options in advance, while recognising that the right action depends on what is happening.

The standard-tier duty is to have appropriate public protection procedures, so far as reasonably practicable. It does not prescribe one evacuation route or assembly point for every incident.

• What information would prompt evacuation and who can initiate it.
• Alternative routes that could lead people away from the reported danger.
• How staff communicate a route or exit that must not be used.
• When moving people to a place inside with less risk may be appropriate.
• When appropriate lockdown arrangements may reduce exposure to danger.
• How assistance remains available under the chosen response.
• How instructions change if the situation or official advice changes.

How invacuation differs from evacuationPlanning dynamic lockdown procedures

Identify who gives instructions and how they reach each occupied area. Include a fallback if the usual system is unavailable, and consider people who cannot hear or understand an announcement.

Keep accountability arrangements realistic. Pass useful information about missing people to emergency services without sending staff back into danger.

• Warning methods and the person responsible for using them.
• Short instructions suited to fire, evacuation, invacuation or lockdown.
• Contact arrangements for emergency services and neighbouring operators.
• Information for staff, volunteers, contractors and hirers.
• How to support people who have left the premises or become separated.
• Who controls re-entry following the incident.

An event safety plan templateA business continuity plan template

Follow the fire training and drill requirements that apply to your premises. Separately, discussing or practising terrorism procedures is recommended good practice. A short walk-through can reveal a route that is unavailable or a message that does not reach an occupied room.

Review the outline when the layout, activities, attendance or people carrying out procedures change. Check fire and security arrangements together so that one does not undermine the other.

Martyn’s Law duties are not yet in force. The SIA expects spring 2027, with no exact date confirmed. Standard tier does not require a written plan, paid course, consultant or software. Adapt this outline with appropriate advice; it is not legal advice.

Free Martyn’s Law training and briefingsThe standard-tier preparation checklistCheck your venue’s tier