When you ask for volunteers for fire warden training, you might be hoping that your more practical employees will step up to the role. After all, if there is a fire in your building, you need wardens who can take control of the situation and take all necessary steps to manage the situation quickly and efficiently.

However, it's also important that your fire wardens have good communication and people skills. As part of their training, they learn how to deal with the way people behave in an emergency. Why is this important?

People Might Panic

You and your fire wardens have no way of knowing how people will react if there is a fire in your building. While most people will follow a warden's instructions calmly and quickly, some may not.

Some people fall apart in life-threatening situations. They start to panic. They may forget what they are supposed to do to safely evacuate, and they may be too scared to listen to the instructions they are given at the time.

This kind of behaviour is hard to predict. Even people who are sensible and calm generally can lose it when they feel under threat.

The problem is, if someone panics and won't do what they are supposed to do, then they put themselves and other people at risk. So part of your fire wardens' training includes information on how to manage panic behaviour.

Your wardens learn how people might react negatively in a fire or emergency situation. They also gain an understanding of how to handle people who can't think straight because they're panicking without jeopardising the safety of others.

People Might Refuse to Evacuate

While some people panic and find themselves unable to evacuate safely, some remain clear-headed but become obstinate. For example, an employee may be so stressed inside that they refuse to move or to follow a warden's instructions. They may appear to be calm and rational, but they put themselves in danger because they won't leave.

This puts a fire warden in a tricky position. If they try to physically make the person obey instructions, there could even be a fight. Again, this kind of behaviour and solutions to it are covered in good training programmes.

To find out more about fire warden training and how to choose employees with the right soft as well as hard skills, talk to training companies. They can fill you in on what courses require and involve.