Alerting the emergency response team and the general rules for emergency response

Responsibility employers: organise the in-house emergency response team (ERT) in such a way that in the event of an accident or fire, the necessary emergency response tasks can be fulfilled.

1. Alerting the ERT

The ERT can be alerted in case of an incident in various ways:

• Verbal alert
  • A staff member or client reports the incident directly to an ERO telling:
    • Who is reporting the incident
    • Where the incident is
    • What the situation is
• The evacuation signal is sounded
  • Slow-whoop
    • Audible alarm which becomes louder and then fades away again
    • Mostly activated by setting of a hand-operated fire alarm or an automatic report to the fire alarm system
  • Integrated fire alarm system:
    • Intended to identify fires at an early stage
    • Consists of various components:
      • Hand-operated fire alarms
      • Automatic fire alarms
      • Central fire monitoring panel
  • Evacuation alarm system with a spoken message:
    • In addition to the slow-whoop
    • Research has shown that these alarms with a message explaining the reasons for evacuation are taken most serously
• Internal alarm number
  • The ERO is informed of the report via the internal alarm number / reception. The reception has a procedure for asking for information about the report and for how to respond further

How the ERT is alerted depends on the alarm equipment available in the organisation.

2. General rules for emergency response

When responding to an incident, an ERP must ensure his own safety. There are the general rules for emergency response:

1. Check for danger: take steps to ensure there is no danger to yourself, bystanders or the victim(s).
2. Find out what has happened: try to obtain a clear picture of the incident and any injuries to the victim from the answers of the victims and bystanders. Also use your own observations by: looking, listening, feeling and smelling.
3. If you are alone, call for assistance.
4. Get expert help: report the incident by applying the alarm procedures in the organisation. You should preferably stay at the scene (if it is safe) and instruct someone else to call for expert. If you call, or get someone else to call, 112 set the telephone to speaker mode and provide the following information:
   • Who: give your name and telephone number
   • Where: give the location of the incident. Where is help needed?
   • What: answer the receptionist’s questions as specifically as possible
     The operator often gives instructions to people administering first aid. In the case of resuscitation, the operator’s instructions are part of the procedure.
5. Administer first aid, tackle the fire or start an evacuation: never do anything to endanger yourself or others or make injuries worse.