How to Write an Occupant Emergency Plan

An emergency is the wrong time to figure out who is in charge, which exit to use, or how to account for everyone in the building. An Occupant Emergency Plan (OEP) settles those questions ahead of time. When it's done well, people in the building know what to do in the first few minutes of a fire, a medical emergency, severe weather, a hazardous materials release, or a violent incident.

This guide covers what an OEP is, who needs one, what it should contain, and how to write one that works when it's needed.

An Occupant Emergency Plan is a written, facility-specific set of procedures for protecting life and property during an emergency. It defines:

• Who makes decisions and who carries them out
• How occupants are alerted
• When and how to evacuate, shelter in place, or lock down
• How people with disabilities and visitors are assisted
• How occupants are accounted for
• How the facility coordinates with first responders

The OEP is part of a broader Occupant Emergency Program, which also covers the organization, training, drills, and periodic review that keep the plan current. A plan that sits in a binder without training or exercises is a document, not a program.

Federal facilities. Under the Federal Management Regulation (41 CFR Part 102-74), federal agencies in facilities under GSA's jurisdiction must have occupant emergency programs, and the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) publishes guidance on building them. In multi-tenant federal buildings, the designated official, usually from the largest tenant agency, is responsible for developing and maintaining the plan in coordination with the other tenants.

State, county, and municipal facilities. Courthouses, administrative buildings, public works yards, and other public facilities often have emergency planning requirements under state law, local policy, fire codes, or insurance and risk-management standards. Even where no specific rule names an "OEP," the elements are the same.

Federal contractors and leased space. Organizations working in or leasing space to federal agencies often need to fit their procedures into the host facility's OEP.

Any organization with people in a building. Workplace safety rules, including OSHA's emergency action plan requirements where they apply, call for many of the same elements. A well-built OEP usually covers those obligations and more.

The details vary by facility, but a complete OEP generally includes the following.

1. Purpose, Scope, and Authority

State which facility, floors, and tenants the plan covers, which regulations or policies apply, and who approved it.

2. Organization and Roles

Define the emergency organization: the designated official or plan owner, the occupant emergency coordinator, floor or zone wardens, monitors for people who need assistance, and alternates for every role. List people by position, not just by name, so the plan survives staff turnover.

3. Facility Information

Include floor plans, evacuation routes, stairwells, areas of refuge, assembly areas, utility shutoffs, fire alarm and suppression systems, and the location of AEDs and first-aid supplies.

4. Notification and Communication

Explain how an emergency is reported, how occupants are alerted (alarm, PA, mass notification, phone tree, text), and how information reaches tenants, visitors, and leadership. Include backup methods for when primary systems fail.

5. Protective Actions

Write clear procedures for each protective action:

• Evacuation: routes, assembly areas, and who confirms the building is clear
• Shelter in place: for severe weather or an outdoor hazmat release
• Lockdown: for an active threat inside or near the building
• Relocation: moving occupants to another part of the building

6. Hazard-Specific Procedures

Base these on the facility's actual risks: fire, medical emergency, bomb threat, suspicious package, active threat, earthquake, severe weather, flooding, utility failure, civil disturbance, and chemical, biological, or radiological incidents.

7. Occupants Needing Assistance

Explain how people with disabilities or temporary impairments are identified (voluntarily), who assists them, and where they go. This is one of the most frequently underdeveloped sections.

8. Accountability

Describe how wardens account for occupants at assembly areas and report to the coordinator, and how missing persons are reported to responders.

9. Coordination With First Responders

Cover points of contact, building access for fire and police, the information responders will need on arrival, and how command transfers to them.

10. Training, Drills, and Maintenance

Set the schedule for training, drills, and exercises, plus the process for after-action review and regular plan updates.

Step 1: Establish Ownership

Name the person or committee responsible for the plan and get leadership to sign off. In multi-tenant buildings, bring every tenant in from the start.

Step 2: Assess the Facility and Its Risks

Walk the building. Document exits, stairwells, alarm coverage, access points, and assembly areas. Identify the hazards that realistically apply, both natural and human-caused, and consider occupancy patterns: public visitors, after-hours staff, detainees, children, or high-profile officials. A risk and vulnerability assessment gives you this foundation.

Step 3: Gather Existing Documents

Collect current plans, fire safety documentation, floor plans, lease provisions, tenant agreements, and past after-action reports. Many organizations have parts of a plan scattered across several documents.

Step 4: Define the Emergency Organization

Assign roles and alternates for every floor and zone. Keep the warden-to-occupant ratio manageable, and make sure every role has someone who is reliably on site.

Step 5: Write the Procedures

Write for the person who will read the plan under stress. Use short sentences, numbered steps, and checklists. Put the most time-critical actions first. Keep background and policy language out of the response procedures.

Step 6: Coordinate With Responders and Stakeholders

Review the draft with local fire, police, and emergency management, as well as building management and security. Confirm that assembly areas don't conflict with staging areas for responders.

Step 7: Review and Approve

Route the draft to tenant leadership, legal, and human resources as needed. Record the approval and the effective date.

Step 8: Train Everyone

Give the emergency organization role-specific training. Give all occupants basic awareness training: alarms, exits, assembly areas, and lockdown and shelter procedures. Add OEP orientation to new-employee onboarding.

Step 9: Drill and Exercise

Run evacuation drills and practice other protective actions. Tabletop exercises are a low-cost way to test decision-making for scenarios you can't easily drill, such as an active threat or a hazmat release.

Step 10: Review and Update

Update the plan after every drill, real incident, renovation, tenant change, or staffing change, and at least once a year. Track versions so everyone is working from the current plan.

• Using a generic template without tailoring it. Procedures that don't match the building's real exits, systems, or occupants fail when they're needed.
• Listing names instead of positions. Plans go out of date the moment someone leaves.
• No alternates. Emergencies don't wait for the primary warden to be at their desk.
• Neglecting occupants who need assistance. These procedures should be specific, practiced, and respectful of privacy.
• Covering only fire evacuation. Many incidents call for shelter in place or lockdown, which follow very different logic.
• No accountability process. If you can't confirm who got out, responders can't tell who is still inside.
• Writing it and shelving it. Without training and drills, people won't know the plan exists.
• Not coordinating across tenants. In shared buildings, conflicting procedures cause confusion at exactly the wrong moment.
• Ignoring after-hours and visitors. Night staff, cleaning crews, contractors, and members of the public need coverage too.

Many organizations write their own OEPs. Outside help makes sense when:

• The facility is complex, multi-tenant, or open to the public, such as a courthouse
• The current plan is outdated, inconsistent, or spread across several documents
• An audit, inspection, or incident has identified gaps
• Staff don't have the time or emergency-planning expertise to do it thoroughly
• You need an independent review, facilitated tabletop exercises, or training for wardens
• You want the plan aligned with a broader risk assessment and security program

A qualified consultant brings an outside perspective, familiarity with federal and public-sector guidance, and experience from other facilities, while the plan remains your organization's own.

Related: see our Courthouse Security Assessment Checklist.

What is the difference between an OEP and an Emergency Action Plan (EAP)?

They cover much of the same ground. "Emergency Action Plan" is the term used in OSHA workplace rules. "Occupant Emergency Plan" is the term used for federal facilities and covers all occupants, including multiple tenants and visitors. A well-written OEP usually meets EAP requirements.

How often should an OEP be updated?

Review it at least once a year, and update it whenever there's a change in staffing, tenants, building layout, or systems, or after a drill or real incident shows a gap.

Who is responsible for the OEP in a multi-tenant federal building?

Generally, the designated official, who is typically the highest-ranking official of the largest tenant agency, working with the other tenants and the building's management and security partners.

How long should an OEP be?

Long enough to be complete and short enough to use. Many organizations keep a detailed master plan and hand out one-page quick-reference guides for occupants and wardens.

Does an OEP need to address active threats?

Yes. Lockdown and active-threat procedures are now a standard part of a complete plan and should be coordinated with law enforcement and with your workplace violence prevention program.

Pacific Advantage Group helps government agencies and public facilities across the country develop, review, and exercise Occupant Emergency Plans. Our work is grounded in facility-specific risk assessment and practical procedures that people can follow. Whether you need a new plan, an independent review of an existing one, or warden training and tabletop exercises, contact us to talk about your facility.