Document 05
Martyn's Law communication procedure and scripts
How you tell people what to do, quickly and clearly: your alarm, announcement and staff methods, a lockdown code word, word-for-word scripts for each procedure and the 999 call, and who tells whom.
About the sample
Responsible person: Anchor Inns Ltd trading as The Anchor Inn. Lead contact: Sam Reid, General Manager. Capacity: 320, worked out by method A (fire safety occupancy figure).
Formats
Your version comes as PDF and Word, branded with your venue's name.
What is a communication procedure?
A communication procedure sets out how you tell people on your premises what is happening and what to do. It covers the public, your staff and volunteers, and the emergency services. Under Martyn's Law it is one of the four public protection procedures the responsible person must have in place at standard tier, so far as reasonably practicable.
In an emergency, people look for someone to tell them what to do. Clear words delivered quickly move people the right way. Improvised or conflicting instructions cost time.
What's in the template
- Your methods: the alarm, how announcements are made, and how staff talk to each other
- A code word, chosen by the lead contact and told only to staff, to call a lockdown without alarming an attacker
- Word-for-word scripts for evacuation, invacuation and lockdown announcements
- A 999 script: where you are, what you saw, where the danger is now, how many people are present, and what you are doing
- A script for people at the assembly point, asking them to stay and report injuries
- A "who tells whom" sequence, from the person who sees it to the Incident Lead, everyone on site, 999 and the deputy who meets the emergency services
- A reminder that contact with families, the press and the responsible person comes afterwards, never during
Who uses it, and when
The Incident Lead makes the announcement and the 999 call, using the scripts. The deputy meets the emergency services at the main entrance. Staff use the agreed method, such as radios or phones, to pass on what they see. Practise reading the scripts aloud so they are familiar.
How it fits with the other documents
Each procedure in the pack starts with an announcement from this document: evacuation, invacuation and lockdown. The short versions of the announcements and the 999 call are repeated on the staff briefing sheet and the wall poster.
Questions about this document
We don't have a PA system. Does that matter?
No. Many small venues rely on a loud, clear voice from a member of staff. The procedure records whichever method you actually have, and the scripts are short enough to shout.
Why use a code word?
A code word lets staff warn each other and start a lockdown without telling an attacker, or causing a rush, before people are ready to move.
Should more than one person call 999?
The procedure gives the call to the Incident Lead, using the script, so the police get one clear account. Anyone who is in immediate danger and cannot reach the Incident Lead should still call.
Does Martyn's Law apply to your venue?
Six questions. Free. No account needed.