Emergency Control Organisation
Who is it and what does it do?
The emergency control organisation (ECO) is the group of people responsible for managing an emergency, protecting the safety of the facilities occupants and implementing the provisions of the emergency management plan or procedures.
Below we have listed out the general expectations of the ECO, however it is imperative to note that different facilities will have different ECO structures dependent on their specific emergency plans and procedures.
General
The ECO is appointed by the emergency planning committee (EPC) to effectively implement the facilities emergency management plan and procedures (EMP). Consideration needs to be given to the facilities characteristics to ensure that the ECO is staffed with the appropriate positions and numbers.
In an emergency, instructions given by the ECO override normal management structure. This doesn't change the responsibility of facility owners and management to ensure the safety of occupants and visitors but is intended to ensure that during an emergency situation life takes precedence over asset protection, environmental concerns, production and business continuity.
Positions on the ECO
At the very least an ECO must consist of a chief warden, however other positions can be determined as needed by the EPC. In larger facilities it would be unreasonable to only have a chief warden responsible for managing every emergency on their own. Lets take a look at the common positions you would expect to see on an ECO, what you should be looking for in a person to fill that position and the normal duties they would be expected to perform.
Keep in mind, an EPC can add new positions if they feel their facility warrants them and the actual duties of different positions will vary from facility to facility. The exact roles and duties will be able to be found in your sites EMP.
Chief Warden
The person appointed as the chief warden should:
be capable of performing their duties
be capable of leading and taking command
display effective decision making skills
demonstrate the ability to remain calm under pressure
be available to undertake their duties
be able to effectively communicate with occupants and visitors
be familiar with the facility
be able to undergo relevant training
When it comes to understanding the roles of a position it is important to recognise they are divided into 3 categories. Pre-emergency, Emergency, and Post-emergency.
Pre-emergency the chief wardens responsibility is to:
maintain a current register of ECO members
replace ECO members when a position becomes vacant
conduct regular exercises
ensure the emergency response procedurtes are kept up-to-date
attend meetings of the EPC
attend training and emergency exercises
ensure their ECO position identification is available
During an emergency the chief wardens responsibility is to:
respond and take control of the emergency
determine the nature of the emergency and implement appropriate action
ensure that the appropriate emergency service has been notified
ensure that other wardens are advised of the situation as appropriate
monitor the process of the evacuation/action and record any actions taken in an incident log
brief the emergency services upon arrival about the nature of the emergency, scope of the emergency, location of the emergency, status of occupants and then act on the emergency services instructions
take any other actions as considered necessary or as directed by emergency services
Post-emergency the chief wardens responsibility is to:
when the emergency incident is rendered safe or the emergency service returns control, notify the ECO members to have occupants return to the facility as appropriate
organise a debrief with ECO members and if appropriate with any attending emergency service
compile a report for the EPC and management
Remember that these are only guidelines and the specific responsibilities of the chief warden may differ from place to place, as ultimately the sites EMP will determine what their exact role is.
Communications officer
The person appointed as communications officer should:
be capable of performing their duties
display effective decision making skills
demonstrate the ability to remain calm under pressure
be available to undertake their appointed duties
be capable of effectively communicating with occupants and visitors
be able to undergo relevant training
Pre-emergency the communications officers responsibility is to:
ensure their own proficiency in the operation of the facilities communication equipment
maintain records and logbooks and make them available for emergency response
ensure the ECO members are proficient in the use of the facility communication equipment
ensure that emergency communication contact details are up-to-date
attend training and emergency exercises
During an emergency the communication officers responsibility is to:
ascertain the nature and location of the emergency
confirm that the appropriate emergency service has been notified
notify appropriate ECO members
transmit instructions and information
record a log of the events that occurred during the emergency
act as directed by the chief warden
Post-emergency the communication officers responsibility is to:
collate records of events during the emergency for the debrief and ensure they are secured for future reference
Floor or area wardens
A floor or area warden is responsible for a specific floor or section of a facility, as appropriate to maintain smooth control during an emergency. They should be selected with consideration of their day-to-day work location and responsibilities.
A person appointed as a floor or area warden should:
be capable of performing their duties
have leadership qualities and the ability to command authority
display effective decision making skills
demonstrate the ability to remain calm under pressure
be available to undertake their appointed duties
be capable of effectively communicating with occupants and visitors
be capable of deputising for other positions on the ECO
be able to undergo relevant training
Pre-emergency it is a floor or area wardens responsibility to:
confirm there are sufficient wardens in their area of responsibility
coordinate the completion of PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) documentation
report on deficiencies of emergency equipment
ensure that wardens have communicated the emergency response procedures to all occupants within their nominated areas
ensure that occupants are aware of the identity of their wardens
coordinate safety practices like keeping egress paths clear, access to fire extinguishers etc
attend training and emergency exercises
ensure their ECO position identification is available
In an emergency it is a floor or area wardens responsibility to:
implement the emergency response procedures for their floor or area
ensure that the appropriate emergency service has been notified
direct wardens to check the floor or area for any abnormal situation
commence evacuation if the circumstances on their floor or area warrant it
communicate with the chief warden by whatever means available and act on instructions
advise the chief warden as soon as possible of the circumstances and action taken
co-opt persons as required to assist a warden during an emergency
confirm that the activities of wardens have been completed and report this to the chief warden or emergency services if the chief warden is not contactable
Post-emergency it is a floor or area wardens responsibility to:
compile a report of the actions taken during the emergency for the debrief
Wardens
A person appointed as a warden should:
be capable of performing their duties
have leadership qualities and command authority
be available to undertake their appointed duties
be capable of communicating with occupants and visitors
be capable of deputising for other positions
be able to undergo relevant training
Pre-emergency it is a wardens responsibility to:
ensure all occupants are aware of the emergency response procedures
carry out safety practices, like clearing egress paths and ensuring access to fire equipment
ensure their ECO position identification is available
attend training and emergency exercises
In an emergency it is a wardens responsibility to:
act as a floor or area warden if required
operate the communications systems
check any fire or smoke doors are properly closed
close or open other doors in accordance with the emergency response procedures
search the floor or area to ensure all people have evacuated (this function is of greater importance than a later physical count of those evacuated)
ensure orderly flow of people into protected areas
assist occupants with disabilities
act as leader of groups moving to nominated assembly areas
report the status of their activities to the floor or area warden on their completion
Post-emergency it is a wardens responsibility to:
compile a report of the actions taken during the emergency for the debrief
Identification
Members of the ECO need to be identifiable. AS3745 lists acceptable forms of identification as coloured apparel that is a helmet, cap, hat, vest or tabard. The apparel needs to be marked with the weared ECO title, for example Chief Warden, or Communications Officer.