Before You Need It 

Nobody wants to think about a fire breaking out in their restaurant.

But if it ever happens, that's exactly why you need to have thought about it before it happens.

Who calls 911?

Who takes charge?

Where do employees and guests go?

Who's checking the restrooms, walk-in, office, or other areas?

Where does everyone meet outside?

Who makes sure everyone is accounted for?

And does your team actually know any of this?

During a real emergency is not the time for a restaurant manager to start figuring out the answers.

That's why the Restaurant Manager's Safety Command Center™ includes the Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan (FEEP) Builder—a guided online tool that helps restaurants create an organized, restaurant-specific fire emergency plan without starting from a blank page.

A Fire Plan Needs to Be Specific to Your Restaurant

A generic evacuation plan can tell you to "evacuate the building."

That's not enough.

Every restaurant is different.

Your exits are different. Your kitchen is different. Your equipment is different. Your parking lot is different. Your building may have different hazards, utilities, stairways, rooftop equipment, or special systems.

And your employees need to know where they're supposed to go once they get outside.

The FEEP Builder begins with the information that makes the plan yours, including your restaurant or organization name and your designated outside assembly point.

That assembly point matters.

"Everybody go outside" isn't much of an evacuation plan.

"Everybody meets at the far corner of the parking lot by the oak tree" is something employees can actually follow.

Decide Who Is Responsible Before There's an Emergency

The builder also lets the restaurant designate a FEEP Coordinator by name and title.

That could be a general manager, safety lead, or another person your organization has designated to coordinate the plan.

The important part is that the responsibility is established ahead of time.

In an emergency, you don't want five people assuming somebody else is taking charge—or five people trying to take charge at once.

Your written plan gives your restaurant a place to establish those responsibilities before they're needed.

Put Your Emergency Contacts in One Place

When something goes wrong, nobody should be searching through emails or looking up phone numbers while smoke is coming from the kitchen.

The FEEP Builder includes an Emergency Contacts section where restaurants can organize important numbers, including contacts such as:

• Fire Department
• Police
• Gas Utility
• Landlord or Property Management

Additional contacts can be added as needed, along with notes such as after-hours information.

It's a simple thing.

But emergency planning is often about making sure the simple things have already been handled.

Keep Your Evacuation Drills From Becoming "Whenever We Remember"

The FEEP Builder also gives managers a place to record the last evacuation drill and the next scheduled drill.

I really like this feature because a fire plan shouldn't simply exist as a document.

Your employees need to know what they're expected to do.

A plan that nobody practices may not be much help when a real emergency happens.

By putting the last and next drill dates directly into the plan, the restaurant can make emergency preparedness part of an ongoing safety process rather than a one-time project that gets forgotten.

What Happens When Someone Discovers a Fire?

The Identification & Notification section gives the restaurant editable starting language for what should happen when smoke or fire is discovered.

That includes things such as sounding an alarm if one is present, calling 911, notifying the Manager on Duty or FEEP Coordinator, beginning the evacuation process, and taking appropriate steps to help contain smoke when it can be done safely.

And because the information is editable, the restaurant can review and adapt those procedures to its own operation.

The point isn't to give employees something impressive-looking in a binder.

The point is to establish what people are actually expected to do.

Getting Everyone Out Is More Than Finding the Nearest Door

Restaurants present a particular challenge during an evacuation because you're not just dealing with employees.

You may have a dining room full of guests who have no idea where your exits are.

The FEEP Builder's Evacuation Procedures section gives restaurants a starting framework for addressing issues such as directing employees and guests to safe exits, assisting people who may need help, accounting for employees at the assembly point, keeping access clear for emergency responders, and remaining outside until emergency personnel give the all-clear.

Think about your own restaurant for a moment.

If you had to evacuate it right now, would everyone know where to go?

Would your newest employee know?

Would the closing manager know?

Would somebody check the restroom?

Would someone know where employees are supposed to assemble?

Those are much better questions to answer today than during an emergency.

Restaurant Fires Have Restaurant-Specific Risks

A restaurant isn't an ordinary office building.

You've got cooking equipment, hot oil, gas or electrical systems, hood suppression systems, fire extinguishers, and employees working around heat every day.

The Fire Containment & Response section provides editable procedures addressing issues such as extinguisher use by trained employees, evacuation when a fire is spreading or conditions are uncertain, emergency utility shutoffs when safe, and restaurant-specific considerations such as hood suppression systems and hot oil.

That gives managers a starting point for documenting procedures appropriate to their particular operation.

Connect the Plan to Employee Training

A written plan and employee training belong together.

The FEEP Builder includes a Training & Communication section where restaurants can document the fire-safety training their employees receive.

That fits directly into the larger REST system.

The plan establishes the procedure.

Training helps employees understand it.

Drills help reinforce it.

Documentation helps managers keep track of what they've done.

Those pieces work better together than they do sitting in separate folders.

Your Building Has Its Own Story

One of the smartest parts of the builder may also be one of the simplest: Building Specifics.

This gives managers a place to document hazards, special systems, or layout information particular to their location.

Because the fire plan for Restaurant A shouldn't automatically be identical to the fire plan for Restaurant B.

Even two locations belonging to the same company may have completely different layouts and emergency considerations.

Your plan should reflect your building.

Don't Forget the Equipment That Has to Work

The Equipment & Maintenance section provides editable starting information for documenting fire-safety equipment and maintenance considerations, including extinguishers, emergency lighting and exit signs, alarm or smoke-detection systems where present, and hood suppression equipment.

Managers should customize this information to their restaurant, equipment, service schedules, and applicable requirements.

Because having emergency equipment isn't the end of the job.

It has to be maintained and ready when it's needed.

Find Something That Needs Fixing? Put It in the Plan.

The builder includes a Notes / Corrective Actions section for logging findings, responsible parties, and due dates.

That's important because sometimes the process of creating or reviewing an emergency plan uncovers something.

Maybe an exit needs attention.

Maybe an employee doesn't know the assembly point.

Maybe emergency contact information is outdated.

Maybe a piece of equipment needs service.

Don't just notice it.

Document it. Assign it. Correct it.

That's how a safety plan becomes part of an actual safety system.

Build It. Preview It. Save It.

Once the restaurant has worked through the FEEP Builder, managers can save a local draft, build a preview, export the plan for printing as a PDF, or download a Word-compatible version for additional editing.

So you're not creating a plan that's locked inside REST.

You're creating something you can keep with your restaurant's safety documentation, distribute as appropriate, review with your team, and update when things change.

The Best Time to Build an Emergency Plan Is When There Isn't an Emergency

That's really what the FEEP Builder is about.

You don't want your manager standing in a smoky restaurant thinking:

Where is everybody supposed to go?

You want the answer decided ahead of time.

You want the coordinator designated.

You want the assembly point established.

You want emergency contacts available.

You want employees trained.

You want drills scheduled.

You want your procedures written down.

And you want your plan customized to the restaurant where your employees actually work.

The Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan Builder gives managers a practical place to start.

Because when an emergency happens, the plan shouldn't still be in your head.

It should already be in place.

One More Tool Inside the Restaurant Manager's Safety Command Center™

The FEEP Builder is part of the Restaurant Manager's Safety Command Center™—where REST brings together the tools managers need to train employees, document safety activity, build written programs, track certificates, prepare for emergencies, and manage restaurant safety without trying to create everything themselves.

Restaurants never slow down.

Your safety training system has to be ready to keep up.