Apartment building evacuation plan template
A free fire evacuation plan template for apartment buildings, flats and shared houses. It shows residents the way out from their landing and says plainly what they should do when the alarm sounds.
Upload a floor plan, photo or sketch. You get a finished map with routes, symbols and these steps, ready to print.
Download the free apartment building evacuation plan template
Each one has a title block for the building name and floor, a large space for your floor plan, a map key, "You are here", the in-case-of-fire steps below, the assembly point and emergency contacts. Landscape, in A4 and US Letter.
Printable PDF
Apartment fire evacuation plan template, ready to print and fill in by hand.
Editable Word (.docx)
Change any wording, add your details and paste in a floor plan picture.
Free to download, print and share. No sign-up.
What the map should show
- Each stair and exit, and the route from every apartment door on this floor
- The building's fire strategy: everyone leaves, or stay put unless the fire is in your home
- Fire alarm call points (if the building has a common alarm), extinguishers and fire doors
- Where the fire service will arrive and any dry riser or fire panel
- A "You are here" marker for the landing or lobby where the plan hangs
- The assembly point outside
In case of fire: steps for an apartment building
- 1.Fire in your home? Get everyone out, close the door behind you and leave the building.
- 2.Raise the alarm with the call point, if the building has one, and knock on neighbours' doors as you go.
- 3.Do not use lifts or elevators. Use the stairs.
- 4.Call the fire service on the emergency number below, even if the alarm is ringing.
- 5.Fire somewhere else? Follow this building's strategy, ticked below. If heat or smoke reaches you, leave.
- 6.Go to the assembly point and stay there. Don't go back in until the fire service says it's safe.
Some apartment buildings are designed for everyone to leave when the alarm sounds; others (in the UK, many purpose-built blocks) tell residents to stay put unless the fire is in their home or affects them. Find out which applies to your building before you post the plan; the template has a box to tick.
Who is responsible
- The building owner, landlord or managing agent is responsible for the common parts and the plan for them.
- Residents are responsible for knowing the plan and keeping corridors and stairs clear of bikes, buggies and rubbish.
- Keep a list of residents who would need help to get out, and share how they will be helped.
- Make sure new tenants get the plan when they move in.
How often to review and drill
- Check the plan at least once a year, and straight away after any change to the layout, exits, alarm, use of the building or the people in it.
- Replace every posted copy when the plan changes. Old maps on the wall are worse than none.
- Your local fire code, fire authority or insurer may set how often you must drill. Check with them, and keep a record of each drill and what you learned from it.
- Many residential buildings don't hold full drills, but residents should still be told the plan at least once a year and when they move in.
This is general guidance. Rules differ by country, state and city: check with your local fire authority, and with a fire safety professional for your building.
Skip the drawing: make it from your own floor plan
Upload your apartment building's floor plan as a PDF, photo or sketch. EvacPlan tidies it, you mark the exits and routes, and you get a print-ready map for every floor with the map key and steps already on it. Free to make, and your first map downloads free.
Questions
Stay put or leave: which do I put on the plan?
The one your building was designed for. Ask the owner, managing agent or fire safety adviser. If you can't confirm a stay-put strategy, the safe default is that everyone leaves when the alarm sounds.
Where do apartment evacuation plans go?
In the entrance lobby and on each landing or lift lobby, near the stairs. Some owners also give residents a copy for the inside of their front door.
What about shared houses and HMOs?
The same template works: show each bedroom, the route to the front door and any second exit. See our page for apartments and HMOs for more.
Related templates
Read more: Apartment evacuation planning guide · Evacuation plans for apartments and HMOs