Compartment Fire Evacuation Drills
Timed, realistic evacuation exercises for nursing homes and disability services demonstrating HIQA Regulation 28 compliance. Our professional assessors use rescue manikins, smoke simulators, and portable fire extinguishers to create conditions that accurately test your facility’s ability to evacuate residents safely within required timeframes. Full documentation and ASET/RSET analysis provided.
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Service Overview
Compartment Fire Evacuation Drills from Phoenix STS provide nursing homes and disability services with timed, realistic evacuation exercises. Each drill is documented with evacuation times and a comprehensive report identifying strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations for improvement.
Compartment Fire Evacuation Drills service details from Phoenix STS.
Emergency evacuation in nursing homes and disability services is not straightforward. Residents may use walking aids or wheelchairs or may require full assistance to move. Many cannot respond quickly to alarms or follow verbal instructions. These drills assess whether your staff can evacuate residents safely within the timeframes required by your fire safety strategy.
Understanding ASET and RSET: The Science of Safe Evacuation
Fire engineering uses two critical time measurements to determine whether occupants can evacuate safely. Understanding these concepts is essential for anyone responsible for fire safety in healthcare settings.
Components of RSET (Required Safe Egress Time)
In healthcare settings, pre-movement and travel times are significantly extended due to resident dependency, the need for evacuation equipment, and staff-to-resident ratios. This is why realistic drills are essential to measure actual RSET.
Why Realistic Fire Drills Matter
Not all fire drills are equal. Unrealistic drills provide false assurance and fail to identify genuine weaknesses in your evacuation capability. When a real fire occurs, the gaps exposed by inadequate drilling can have fatal consequences.
⚠️ The Danger of Unrealistic Fire Drills
Many facilities conduct fire drills that bear little resemblance to actual emergency conditions. These drills tick a compliance box but fail to test genuine evacuation capability. The result is false confidence that evaporates when a real emergency occurs.
❌ Unrealistic Drill Practices
- Staff know the drill is coming and prepare in advance
- Extra staff rostered specifically for the drill
- Residents who are “difficult to move” excluded
- Beds positioned for easy access beforehand
- Fire doors propped open to speed evacuation
- No smoke simulation or realistic conditions
- Times not recorded or benchmarked
- Same compartment drilled every time
✓ Phoenix STS Realistic Approach
- Limited notice to replicate genuine emergency response
- Actual shift staffing levels used
- Manikins reflect real resident dependency mix
- Equipment and furniture in normal positions
- All fire doors closed as they would be normally
- Smoke simulators create realistic visibility conditions
- All times recorded and benchmarked against targets
- All compartments tested systematically
Why Choose Phoenix STS
🔥 Realistic Drill Conditions
We use rescue manikins, smoke simulators, and portable fire extinguishers to create conditions that genuinely test your facility’s evacuation capability.
👥 Professional Assessment Team
Two qualified assessors attend each session, ensuring accurate timing, thorough observation, and comprehensive documentation.
🛡️ No Risk to Residents or Staff
All drills use rescue manikins to simulate residents. Staff are never placed on evacuation equipment, and residents are not required to participate.
📋 Comprehensive Documentation
Each drill is fully documented with evacuation times, participant records, and detailed reports identifying strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations.
📊 High Throughput
Full-day sessions can complete 8-10 drills across different compartments, maximising value and providing comprehensive assessment.
🎯 Tailored to Your Strategy
Drills are designed around your facility’s specific evacuation strategy, whether progressive horizontal or staged vertical evacuation.
Understanding Progressive Evacuation
The evacuation strategy in most nursing homes is progressive, in which residents are moved in controlled phases rather than in an immediate full building evacuation. Compartments and sub-compartments should have sufficient space to temporarily accommodate evacuated persons.
Room of Origin
Remove residents from the immediate fire location to the corridor or adjacent area.
Place of Relative Safety
Move residents through fire doors into an adjacent sub-compartment on the same floor.
Parts of the Centre
If fire spreads, evacuate additional compartments horizontally or vertically via protected stairways.
Total Evacuation
Complete building evacuation to external assembly points if all internal refuge is compromised.
Phases 1 and 2 involve primarily horizontal movement away from immediate danger. Phases 3 and 4 may involve vertical movement via protected stairways. Compartment Fire Evacuation Drills typically focus on Phases 1 and 2, demonstrating your facility’s ability to clear the largest compartment within required timeframes.
What is a Fire Compartment?
A fire compartment is a section of your building constructed to provide a physical fire-resisting barrier preventing the spread of fire and smoke. Compartment walls, floors, and doors provide fire resistance for at least 60 minutes (or 30 minutes in premises with only medium/low dependency residents on the ground floor only).
A compartment can be subdivided into sub-compartments to aid progressive evacuation. Sub-compartment walls and doors provide fire resistance for at least 30 minutes. While a resident bedroom is not itself a sub-compartment, it is a protected area within one, providing temporary safety while the sub-compartment is being evacuated.
Example: 60-minute fire compartment with three 30-minute sub-compartments. Drill tests evacuation of the largest sub-compartment.
Who Should Use This Service
This service is designed for registered providers and persons in charge of designated centres who need to demonstrate evacuation competency for HIQA compliance:
🏥 Nursing Homes
Residential care facilities for older persons requiring 24-hour nursing care.
🏠 Residential Care Centres
Centres providing residential care for adults with various support needs.
♿ Disability Services
Designated centres for persons with disabilities under HIQA regulation.
🛏️ Respite Care Facilities
Short-term residential care facilities requiring fire safety compliance.
🏨 Rehabilitation Centres
Facilities providing rehabilitation services with residential accommodation.
💜 Hospices
Palliative care facilities requiring sensitive evacuation planning.
Service Details
Scheduling Options
| Option | Duration | Drills Completed |
|---|---|---|
| Morning Session | 4 hours | 5-6 drills |
| Afternoon Session | 3 hours | 3-4 drills |
| Full Day | 7 hours | 8-10 drills |
Note: The number of drills depends on compartment size and complexity. Larger compartments with higher dependency levels require more time per drill.
Equipment Provided by Phoenix STS
- Rescue manikins for realistic weight simulation
- Smoke simulators for realistic visibility conditions
- Portable fire extinguishers for response demonstration
- Timing equipment for accurate measurement
Facility Requirements
- Access to compartments/sub-compartments to be drilled
- Staff at normal operating levels for shift simulated
- Facility evacuation equipment available (ski sheets, mats, pads)
- Brief on compartment layout, fire doors, assembly points
Drill Process
- Preparation: Staff briefing on resident conditions and scenario
- Setup: Placement of manikins in required locations
- Drill: Timed evacuation exercise with full documentation
- Debrief: Immediate feedback on performance and observations
Assessment Criteria
- Evacuation time vs target benchmarks
- Correct use of evacuation equipment
- Communication and coordination
- Fire door management
- Assembly point procedures
What You’ll Receive
Following completion of Compartment Fire Evacuation Drills, you receive:
- Drill Report: Comprehensive documentation of each drill, including scenario, participants, timing, and observations
- Evacuation Times: Recorded times for compartment clearance against target benchmarks
- ASET/RSET Analysis: Assessment of whether your evacuation times fall within safe margins
- Participant Confirmation: Attendance confirmation for all staff who actively participated in drills
- Findings Summary: Strengths identified and areas requiring improvement
- Recommendations: Actionable recommendations for improving evacuation procedures and performance
Comprehensive documentation and reporting included with every drill session.
Benefits of Compartment Fire Evacuation Drills
🛡️ For Resident Safety
Test Real Evacuation Capability
Realistic drills reveal whether staff can actually evacuate residents within required timeframes.
Identify Gaps Before Emergencies
Drills expose weaknesses in procedures, equipment, or staff competency that can be addressed before a real fire.
Build Staff Confidence
Regular practice builds muscle memory and confidence, enabling calm and effective responses under pressure.
📋 For HIQA Compliance
Demonstrate Regulation 28 Compliance
Documented drills with evacuation times provide concrete evidence of fire safety competency for HIQA inspections.
Meet Legal Obligations
Satisfy the legal requirement for fire drills under the Fire Services Acts 1981-2003.
Fire Safety Handbook Alignment
Drills conducted in accordance with HIQA’s Fire Safety Handbook (March 2025) guidance.
🏢 For Your Organisation
Independent Assessment
External assessors provide objective evaluation free from internal bias or assumptions.
Actionable Recommendations
Clear, practical recommendations for improving evacuation procedures and performance.
Evidence of Due Diligence
Professional drill documentation demonstrates commitment to fire safety and resident welfare.
Our Assessors
Our assessors bring extensive fire safety experience in healthcare settings and hold memberships with leading professional bodies:
Our assessors combine theoretical knowledge with practical application in healthcare fire safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Page last updated: January 2026
