Emergency Evacuation Procedures in the Theater: Training, Signage, and Drills
When a theater emergency requires evacuation, the building’s technical staff are often the most knowledgeable people present about the facility’s layout, exit systems, and emergency equipment. In many cases, theater technicians are the first to recognize an emergency condition and the first to begin the response. Training in emergency evacuation is not optional for anyone who works in a performing arts venue.
Legal Requirements for Emergency Action Planning
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38 requires that employers with 10 or more employees maintain a written Emergency Action Plan (EAP). The EAP must include procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency, procedures for emergency evacuation including type of evacuation and exit route assignments, procedures to account for all employees after evacuation, procedures to be followed by employees who remain to perform critical operations before evacuation, rescue and medical duties for employees who perform them, and names and job titles of persons who can be contacted for additional information.
NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, which is adopted by reference in most state and local building codes, establishes the physical requirements for means of egress in assembly occupancies including theaters. These include minimum egress width, maximum travel distance to an exit, exit signage illumination, and emergency lighting requirements.
Means of Egress Under NFPA 101
NFPA 101 divides means of egress into three components:
- Exit access: the portion of the means of egress that leads to the exit, including aisles, corridors, and rooms.
- Exit: the portion of the means of egress separated from the rest of the building by fire-rated construction, including stairways, exit passageways, and horizontal exits.
- Exit discharge: the portion of the means of egress between the exit and the public way, including exit doors, ramps, and paths to the street.
For assembly occupancies, NFPA 101 requires that exits be provided so that the travel distance to at least one exit does not exceed 200 feet in unsprinklered buildings or 250 feet in sprinklered buildings. Exit width must be sufficient to accommodate the building’s occupancy load at a calculation rate of 0.2 inches of width per person for doors and 0.3 inches per person for stairs.
Emergency Lighting and Exit Signage
NFPA 101 and NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code) Article 700 require emergency lighting systems to provide illumination along means of egress for a minimum of 90 minutes following a power failure. Emergency lighting must achieve a minimum of 1 foot-candle measured along the path of egress at floor level.
Exit signs must be illuminated at all times the building is occupied. Battery-backed LED exit signs are the most common modern implementation. Monthly testing (30-second test of battery backup) and annual testing (90-minute full-duration test) are required. Results must be documented.
Staff Roles During Evacuation
Every member of the theater’s technical staff should have a defined role in the emergency evacuation plan. Typical role assignments include:
- Stage Manager: calls the emergency (activates alarm if not already activated), initiates PA announcement, communicates with fly rail and crew stations, accounts for all performers and crew.
- Technical Director or Chief Electrician: oversees backstage evacuation, verifies all crew positions are cleared, communicates with stage manager.
- House Manager: oversees front-of-house evacuation, directs ushers, accounts for audience, communicates with stage manager and emergency responders.
- Ushers and Front-of-House Staff: direct audience to exits, assist patrons with mobility challenges, prevent re-entry.
- Fly Crew: secure and park all flying pieces before evacuating.
- Deck Crew: ensure all performers are accounted for, assist performers in costumes or with mobility limitations.
Audience Communication
Effective audience communication during an emergency requires calm, clear, and specific language. Pre-written emergency scripts should be prepared for common emergency types and available at the PA system controls. Key principles:
- Use a calm, authoritative tone. Panic is contagious and a panicked announcement can cause injuries in the rush to exit.
- Be specific about what to do, not just what is happening: “Please walk calmly to the nearest exit” is more useful than “There is an emergency.”
- Repeat the instruction.
- Some emergency protocols recommend against using the word “fire” in an announcement to prevent panic. Check your local jurisdiction’s requirements and consult with your fire marshal.
- Indicate where to go after exiting: “Please proceed to [specific location] and wait for further instructions.”
Evacuation of Persons with Disabilities
NFPA 101 requires areas of rescue assistance (areas of refuge) in buildings where stairways are the primary means of egress. An area of rescue assistance is a space that is protected from fire and smoke by separation or suppression, provides access to a stairway, is large enough to accommodate at least two wheelchair spaces, and is equipped with two-way communication to the fire command center or a constantly attended location.
Staff must be trained to identify and assist audience members and performers who cannot use stairways unassisted. Pre-event identification of patrons who may need evacuation assistance is strongly encouraged: many venues ask audience members with mobility challenges to identify themselves to house management before the performance. Procedures for evacuation via elevator during fire emergencies must be consistent with the building’s fire safety plan and the authority having jurisdiction.
Drills
Emergency evacuation drills are required by NFPA 101 for assembly occupancies. The frequency and type of required drills vary by occupancy classification and local code. At minimum, staff should participate in an annual full-scale evacuation drill with documentation of the time required, problems identified, and corrective actions taken. Tabletop exercises (structured discussion-based scenarios without physical movement) are also valuable for refining role assignments and communication procedures.
Accounting for All Persons
Every evacuation must include a process for accounting for all personnel before the assembly area is cleared. For productions, this means performer rosters plus all crew. For staff-only events, it means a crew roster. For public events, an exact accounting of audience members is practically impossible, but ushers should report whether any portions of the house are known to be uncleared, and emergency responders must be informed of any areas where persons may remain.
Key Takeaways
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38 requires a written Emergency Action Plan for most employers.
- NFPA 101 governs means of egress, occupancy loads, travel distances, and exit requirements for assembly occupancies.
- Emergency lighting must provide 1 foot-candle along egress paths for 90 minutes. Monthly and annual testing is required.
- Every staff member must have a defined role in the evacuation plan.
- Audience communication during an emergency must be calm, specific, and repeated.
- Areas of rescue assistance and procedures for assisting persons with disabilities must be part of every evacuation plan.
- Annual evacuation drills with documentation are required.
References
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). Emergency action plans. 29 CFR 1910.38. U.S. Department of Labor.
National Fire Protection Association. (2024). NFPA 101: Life safety code. NFPA.
National Fire Protection Association. (2022). NFPA 72: National fire alarm and signaling code. NFPA.
National Fire Protection Association. (2023). NFPA 70: National electrical code. NFPA. (Article 700: Emergency Systems)
International Code Council. (2021). International Building Code, Chapter 10: Means of egress. ICC.