Evacuation, Invacuation and Lockdown Guidance

• Review your Fire Evacuation Plan and consider how this policy and its procedures should differ from that plan. In larger premises, fire evacuations may be partial, zonal, or phased, allowing those nearest to the fire to evacuate first. However, a terrorist attack might trigger a spontaneous full evacuation, putting pressure on stairwells and other routes, blocking key escape paths, and creating significant safety risks. Careful planning is necessary to mitigate these potential hazards.  
• Ideally, a fire alarm should not be used for a terrorist-related evacuation. If it is used, consider incorporating a different warning signal. A public address announcement may be preferable, as it can provide clear, situation-specific instructions to help occupants understand the threat and evacuate safely. Depending on the site, other communication systems such as mobile phone alerts, digital displays and warning lights may also be effective.
• Consider whether there may be vulnerable individuals on the premises, such as children, the elderly, or those with disabilities. Assess how a terrorist-related evacuation might impact them and identify any assistance or special arrangements they may require. Fire regulations mandate the creation of Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for employees, contractors and regular visitors with known needs. However, these plans may need to be adapted in the event of an evacuation due to a terrorist threat.
• Consider the use of lifts and escalators and how this may differ from a fire evacuation or lockdown. It may still be beneficial to keep lifts in use to aid escape and evacuation, provided doing so would not facilitate an attack.
• Consider developing a dispersal procedure that will advise those on the premises to move far away and not congregate at assembly points in the vicinity of the premises. This is intended to remove people from the area of the incident and reduce the likelihood of a secondary attack. Plans should consider the mechanism by which people can check in following dispersal (e.g. mobile messaging for a roll call) and receive updates (e.g. to co-ordinate return to the building). See separate NPSA guidance on dispersal planning².
• Your premises may be near others that could give advance warning about a developing security situation or might be impacted by an incident at your premises. It is therefore important to  engage with neighbours in the development of your policy and procedures, including  considering when and how you would communicate with each other.

²NPSA Developing a Dispersal Plan

Policies can be described as high level guidelines that give a framework for decision making. Effective policies describe what should be done and why.  

The following should be included in your terrorist incident evacuation policy: 

• Clearly state the purpose of the policy.
• Define the scope of the policy, including the security situations in which a terrorist incident evacuation should be considered.
• Specify who is responsible for initiating, managing and co-ordinating the response. This could include management, security personnel and other staff members.
• If applicable, detail the role of the Security Control Room (SCR).
• Specify the circumstances under which evacuation should be initiated, and include the types of evacuation (full, partial, phased, or directional) that are applicable to the premises.
• Explain how staff and all individuals on the premises will be informed when a response is activated. This may include alarms, a public address system, verbal commands, or any other suitable method.
• Identify how the emergency services will be informed and updated about the situation.
• Specify how an evolving situation should be managed, including how it will be evaluated and who will make operational decisions as it develops.  
• Outline the policy for using lifts and escalators during the evacuation.
• Detail how disabled or other vulnerable people are to be catered for during the response.
• State how neighbouring premises will be informed of an ongoing evacuation.  
• State how dispersal is to be managed following evacuation.
• Detail what records are to be kept about the implementation of the response.
• Outline arrangements for briefing, training and drills to ensure everyone is familiar with the associated procedures.
• State how policies and procedures are tested, reviewed and revised.

The evacuation procedure is the sequence of actions to be taken to implement an evacuation.  They can be described as step-by-step instructions defining who does what, and how they are expected to do it. 

In line with the evacuation policy, the procedures document should make it clear how a terrorist incident evacuation differs from a fire evacuation and that it requires different actions and communications by staff.

The following elements should be included in your evacuation procedures: 

• Detail who can initiate the response.
• State the means of communicating the terrorist related evacuation as outlined in the policy. The procedure should state who communicates information and how they do so.
• Develop clear and concise instructions in relation to who does what when evacuation is activated. This could be in the form of simple role specific ‘standard operating procedures’ (SOP’s). An example of SOPs can be found within the annex of NPSAs document on developing effective command and control³.
• State how the emergency services are informed. Include who will do this and what information they should give (the details required by police are outlined on a poster produced by NPSA4).
• If applicable, and in line with the policy, outline who will decide the evacuation route(s) to be used and how this will be communicated.
• State how lifts and escalators will be managed.
• Detail how the needs of disabled or other vulnerable people will be facilitated during the response.
• Detail how the response will be monitored and how updated information will be regularly given to those on the premises during the incident.
• Outline how it will be communicated that the evacuation is complete.
• Outline what records of the incident will be kept, by whom, how they will be recorded and who must be informed. Make it clear that comprehensive details are expected. 

³NPSA Responding to Terrorist Incidents

When developing lockdown policies and procedures consider the following:

• Define what a lockdown at your premises involves. For example, at a theatre on a high street a lockdown might mean a two-way lockdown of all outer entry and exit points with a secondary two-way lockdown of lobby doors and a concurrent invacuation into the auditorium.
• If the building is large or complex and there are multiple options to lockdown there may need to be a dynamic assessment made about how best to implement the response. This may only be possible if there are trained control room staff with good communications and visual oversight of the premises.  
• Consider the means of alerting people that a lockdown has been implemented. This could be by a public address system or any other appropriate means. Communicating a clear, factual description of what is happening and what is expected will avoid misunderstanding.  
• Consider what could happen if a fire was started inside the building whilst a two-way lockdown was in place. Make it clear that there cannot be hard and fast rules: a lockdown should be put in place to try and keep people safe; if circumstances change and it is considered a better  option to evacuate, do that. Decisions must be made based on what is happening. Empower decision makers on the ground to take dynamic action in response to unfolding situations.  
• Explore and resolve any issues that may conflict with the fire plan. For example, if a fire alarm was triggered during a lockdown would all the fire exit doors automatically unlock? Also see the guidance on the NPSA website about the use of Fire as a Weapon⁶.  
• Consider what staff are expected to do if people are immediately outside the premises when a lockdown is initiated. Should they try and bring them in? At what point does that compromise security of others? Similarly, what should be done if someone wants to leave the premises during lockdown, especially if this might put others at risk? It is important that staff understand and are trained to act in accordance with the directions of the policy.  
• A lockdown could be initiated in conjunction with evacuation or invacuation, including a run and hide response. This should be borne in mind whilst developing the policy and procedures to ensure that there is no conflict.
• As with the evacuation response it is important to engage with neighbours in the development of your policy and procedures. Including considering, when and how, you would communicate with each other should an incident occur.

⁶NPSA Fire as a Weapon

A lockdown policy must provide a framework of rules and guidelines for making decisions about this response.  

The following elements should be considered for inclusion in a lockdown policy:

• Clearly state the purpose of the policy and why the policy and procedures have been introduced.
• Describe what is meant by a lockdown at your premises.
• Outline when implementation of a lockdown should be considered.
• Specify which role holders can initiate a lockdown at the premises. This responsibility should usually be given to those best positioned to identify danger and take appropriate action.
• Detail how the response should be managed and co-ordinated. If applicable, detail the role of the Security Control Room (for suitable premises there is an SCR operators’ course available, details can be obtained on the NPSA Website⁷).
• State how it should be communicated that a lockdown has been implemented.
• Explain what staff should consider if people are immediately outside the premises when a lockdown is initiated. Also, the policy if someone wants to leave the premises during lockdown.
• Specify how an evolving situation should be managed, including how it should be evaluated and who will make operational decisions as it develops.  
• State how the emergency services will be called and updated about the situation.
• Outline how the needs of disabled or other vulnerable people should be catered for during any response. State what communication with neighbouring premises should entail.  
• Detail what records are to be kept about the implementation of any response. For example, a record should be made and the reasons recorded, if there are circumstances that mean it would be unsafe to implement this response.
• Outline arrangements for briefing, training and drills to ensure everyone is familiar with the associated procedures.
• State how lockdown policies and procedures are tested, reviewed and revised. A lockdown is likely to require a rapid and coordinated response from key individuals. It is therefore essential that these procedures are tested frequently to ensure everyone is prepared to respond effectively. 

⁷NPSA SCR Operators Course

Lockdown procedures must detail how to implement a lockdown at a premises. When developing lockdown procedures the following elements should be considered:

• State who can initiate the response. This could be any member of staff who becomes aware of a real and immediate threat.
• Detail how the alert is communicated in line with the lockdown policy. Describe who communicates what information and how they do so.
• Determine and record details of doors, shutters and other access points that need to be secured quickly. Include directions detailing how they are to be secured and when they can be reopened.
• Develop clear and concise instructions in relation to who does what when a lockdown is called, including which role holder will close each barrier and access point. This could be in the form of simple role specific ‘standard operating procedures’ (SOPs).
• In line with the lockdown policy, outline in what circumstance it may be appropriate to bring customers, visitors, workers, and nearby members of the public into your premises prior to locking down.
• Develop procedures for turning off lights, keeping quiet and silencing electronic devices. (NPSA - Café Lockdown Drama⁸ on the NPSA website is useful in this regard).
• Detail how the response will be monitored and how updated information will be regularly given to those on the premises during the incident.
• Outline procedures for calling the emergency services (see NPSA site for details⁹). Include who will do this and how, and what information they should give. They will require information as to how they can enter the building if it is still in lockdown.
• State how it will be communicated that the lockdown is complete.
• Outline what records of the incident will be kept, by whom, how they will be recorded and who must be informed. Make it clear that comprehensive details are expected. 

For some premises the planning for a lockdown may combine an invacuation as part of a simultaneous response.

⁸ Cafe Lockdown Drama video

9 NPSA Contacting the Police poster

The following should be considered when planning and developing your invacuation policy and procedures:

• Consider the situations when an invacuation may be initiated at your premises. For example, terrorist attack in the immediate vicinity, an explosion nearby, suspicious vehicle outside or suspicious package placed at the main entrance.
• Think about how this response may combine with the other responses of Evacuation and Lockdown.
• Decide how the invacuation is communicated to staff and visitors and whether it is always combined with a lockdown.
• Identify designated safe areas within the premises where individuals should gather during the invacuation. Work out the safe capacity of the areas and assess whether this meets the potential need. Some areas, e.g. stepped locations, should be avoided due to the potential safety risks of holding a high density of people on stairs.
• Identify designated safe areas within the premises where individuals should gather during the invacuation. Work out the safe capacity of the areas and assess whether this meets the potential need. Some areas, e.g. stepped locations, should be avoided due to the potential safety risks of holding a high density of people on stairs.
• If there are limited safe assembly areas within your site, or they would not be suitable in certain circumstances, there may be a requirement for a more fluid invacuation such as a Run, Hide and Tell response (see Protect UK website for more details¹⁰)
• For high risk premises safe areas may benefit from additional protection provided by security rated, blast or ballistic resistant doors, windows, walls and ceilings. Such features may afford an extended time delay against a person(s) trying to force entry. (See NPSA site re Protected Spaces¹¹).
• As with the other responses outlined in this guidance, neighbouring premises should be engaged when developing policy and procedures.

¹⁰ Protect UK - Run Hide Tell

¹¹ NPSA Protected Spaces

An invacuation policy should provide the framework, guiding principles and specific rules relating to an invacuation at a premises. The following should be included in an invacuation policy:

• Clearly state the purpose and scope of the policy and why it has been introduced.
• Outline the situations in which an invacuation may be implemented.
• In conjunction with the lockdown procedures, outline the circumstances that it may be appropriate to bring customers, visitors, workers and nearby members of the public into your premises when invacuating.
• Specify who is responsible for initiating, managing and co-ordinating the response. If applicable, detail the role of the Security Control Room (SCR).
• Outline the means of communication for alerting all relevant parties that an invacuation has been implemented.
• Detail the designated safe areas within the premises and explain why they have been chosen.
• Specify how an evolving situation should be managed, including how it will be evaluated and who will make operational decisions as it develops.
• Consider the needs of disabled or other vulnerable people and include provisions for their safety and assistance during the response.
• Identify who and how the emergency services will be informed and updated about the situation. This is particularly important if people are hiding when the emergency services enter the building.
• Specify what records must be kept regarding the implementation of the response. If there are circumstances that mean it would be unsafe to implement an invacuation, a record should be made of the reasons why.
• Outline arrangements for briefing, training and drills to ensure everyone is familiar with the associated procedures.
• State how policies and procedures are tested, reviewed and revised.

Invacuation procedures should state how an invacuation is conducted at a premises. It should detail what action should be taken, when and by whom. The following elements should be considered when developing the procedures:

• State who can initiate the response.
• Detail how the alert is communicated, in line with the invacuation policy. Describe who communicates what information and how they do so.
• Avoid giving information about the specific location of any safe area as this information may be overheard by attackers.
• Develop clear and concise instructions in relation to who does what when an invacuation is initiated. This could be in the form of simple role-specific 'standard operating procedures' (SOPs).
• Outline procedures for calling the emergency services. Include who will do this and how, and what information they should give. The emergency services will require information as to how they can enter the building if it is in lockdown and people have invacuated.
• In line with the policy, detail what should happen to people who are nearby the premises as the invacuation is initiated.
• State the suitable invacuation locations on your premises, in accordance with the policy. Include the safe capacity of these places.
• Plan the quickest routes to these places, and if and how they can be secured.
• State how staff will be made aware of the secure areas and their roles to ensure the safety of themselves and others if an invacuation is required.
• Detail what should be done and by whom to help vulnerable people who need additional support during the invacuation.
• State what should happen if someone does not want to comply with the invacuation.
• Detail how the response will be monitored and how updated information will be regularly given to those on the premises during the incident.
• State how it will be communicated that the emergency is over and what people are expected to do next.
• Outline what records of the incident must be kept, by whom, how they will be recorded and who must be informed. Make it clear that comprehensive details are expected.