Evacuation plans 16 min read

Fire evacuation plan: how to make one for your building, what it must contain, and a template you can copy

Updated October 2026By Flamekite Editorial DeskFacts checked against official sources on 29 October 2026

How to make a fire evacuation plan for a building in India: the 15 parts NBC 2016 asks for, floor maps, wardens, assembly point, approval and a template.

Parts in the NBC plan format: 15; Annex D-8, from address to revision date; The 15 parts
Amend after a change within: 30 days; And send it back for approval; Review calendar
Floor board inside each stair: 300 x 200 mm; Floor number and way out; Signs and maps
Floors that leave first: Fire floor; And the floors just above; 2 or more levels below is generally safe; Evacuation order

Quick answer

A fire evacuation plan is the written procedure, with floor maps, for getting everyone out of a building by the nearest safe exit in the least time. In India its fullest official form is the Fire Safety Plan in NBC 2016 Part 4 Annex D: a named fire safety director, a fire warden on every floor, a fire party, occupant instructions, drill arrangements, signs, a building information form and representative floor plans, approved by the fire authority for high-rise buildings.

To make one: zone each floor, give every zone a main and an alternative route to an exit, name the wardens, mark the assembly point, post a "you are here" map and the "use stairs" sign at every lift landing, hand each occupant a personal fire instruction card, and drill it. Amend the plan within 30 days of any change to the building (D-5.4).

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Fire evacuation plan at a glance: 10 rules

What the official texts say a fire evacuation plan must do, with their clauses.
What	The rule	Source
Purpose	Systematic, safe and orderly evacuation in the least possible time to a safe area by the nearest safe exit, and use of the fire appliances provided (NBC 2016 Annex D-8.2)	BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Routes	Each zone of a floor gets the quickest route to an exit and an alternative, because one or more exits may be unusable in a fire (D-9.10)	BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Approval	In high-rise buildings the Fire Safety Plan is approved by the fire authority, then given to tenants and by them to their staff (D-5.2, D-5.3)	BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Changes	An amended plan goes to the fire brigade within 30 days of a change that needs it (D-5.4)	BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Floor plan	A representative floor plan kept at the command post in the main lobby, and a copy filed with the fire department (D-9.9)	BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Every occupant	A Personal Fire Instruction Card with the floor plan, exit routes and what to do (D-9.11)	BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Wardens	A fire warden for every floor and a deputy for every tenancy or 700 m² (D-9.3.1)	BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Cinemas	An emergency evacuation plan approved by the licensing authority, one of the Supreme Court's 2011 Uphaar suggestions	Supreme Court, Uphaar
Hospitals	An evacuation plan on every floor, marked assembly areas and a fire control room holding the floor plans (DGCD checklist items 45, 47, 48)	DGCD, MHA
Clinics	A "YOU ARE HERE" evacuation map with the fire station's number at registration and the nursing station (NHSRC)	NHSRC guidance note

Fire evacuation plan rules by building type and state

What each official text asks a building's evacuation plan to hold, and who looks at it.
Option	What the plan must hold	Who approves or checks it	Instrument	Source
High-rise buildings (15 m+)	The full Fire Safety Plan: director, wardens, fire party, drills, signs, building form, floor plans	Fire authority approves; amendments within 30 days	NBC 2016 Part 4, Annex D	BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Cinemas	An emergency evacuation plan, a pre-show film on exits, trained ushers	Licensing authority (a Supreme Court suggestion, not an order)	Uphaar judgment, 13 October 2011	Supreme Court, Uphaar
Cinemas, Bihar	An approved evacuation plan, checked at audit with a yearly mock drill	Fire audit, Form D-1	Bihar fire rules, audit forms	Bihar Rules 2021, forms
Hospitals	Evacuation plan on every floor, assembly areas, floor plans in the fire control room	State fire service at inspection	DGCD hospital checklist	DGCD, MHA
Clinics and health centres	A YOU ARE HERE map and the fire station number at key desks	Facility in-charge	NHSRC fire safety guidance	NHSRC guidance note
Clubs, hotels and venues, Goa	A written Fire and Emergency Response Plan with assembly points, headcount methods and named staff	DFES at inspection	DFES guidelines, December 2025	Goa DIP release
Certified buildings, Gujarat	An emergency organisation chart on each floor; the latest approved plan given to occupants	Licensed Fire Safety Officer	Regulations 2023, IN5.2 to IN5.4	Gujarat Fire Safety Compliance Portal
Large buildings, Arunachal Pradesh	Fire orders approved by Fire Services, and drills	Fire Services; a qualified fire officer over 20 m with floors over 1,000 m²	Building bye-law 11.25 (2019)	AP Building Bye-Laws 2019

How to make a fire evacuation plan in 9 steps

Collect the building facts
Height, floors, area, construction, stairs, lifts, refuge areas, alarms and fire systems, and how many people are in on a normal day and night, as the Annex D-9.8 building information form lists.
Count people floor by floor
Include visitors and people who cannot use stairs unaided, and where they usually are by day and by night.
Zone each floor
Split every floor into zones by layout and population, then give each zone its quickest route to an exit and a second route in case the first is blocked (D-9.10).
Choose the assembly point
An open place clear of the building, the fire engine's approach and the hydrants, big enough for everyone; name it on every map and card.
Name the people
A fire safety director and deputy, a warden per floor, deputies per tenancy or 700 m², a fire party and an out-of-hours evacuation supervisor, with how each is reached.
Draw the maps
A representative floor plan for each floor type: exits, stairs by letter, call points, extinguishers, refuge areas and the assembly point, with "YOU ARE HERE" on each posted copy.
Write the instructions
One page for occupants: raise the alarm, call the fire brigade, leave by the nearest safe stair, no lifts, go to the assembly point, report to your warden.
Get it approved and hand it out
File it where your fire service asks; once approved, give tenants their parts and have them brief their staff (D-5.2, D-5.3).
Drill it and revise it
Test the plan in drills, fix what failed, and send an amended plan within 30 days of any change to the building (D-5.4).

What a fire evacuation plan must include: the NBC's 15 parts

Annex D-8 of NBC 2016 Part 4 lists the headings of a Fire Safety Plan. A smaller building can merge some, but none should be missing.

1. Building address, pin code and telephone number (D-8.1). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
2. Purpose and objective: orderly evacuation and use of fire appliances, kept up by a continuing written programme (D-8.2). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
3. Fire Safety Director: name, title, usual location, how reached on and off site, working hours, duties (D-8.3). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
4. Deputy Fire Safety Director, with the same details (D-8.4). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
5. Fire wardens and deputies, named on an organisation chart for each floor or tenancy (D-8.5). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
6. Building Evacuation Supervisor for nights and holidays (D-8.6). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
7. Fire Party: who is in it, how chosen, how called and what each member does (D-8.7). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
8. Occupant instructions and how they reach every tenant and employee (D-8.8). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
9. Evacuation drills: how often, how run, who takes part, who supervises, how recorded (D-8.9). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
10. Fire command station: where it is, its lighting and communications, and copies of the plan and floor plans kept there (D-8.10). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
11. Signs: at lift landings, floor numbers, stair and lift letters, stair re-entry (D-8.11). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
12. Fire prevention programme: periodic floor inspections and a monthly test of alarms and communications (D-8.12, D-9.7). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
13. Building information form (D-8.13, D-9.8). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
14. Representative floor plan (D-8.14, D-9.9). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
15. Who prepared it, the date prepared and the date revised (D-8.15). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D

Who leaves first: the evacuation order in a fire

Annex D-9.3.3 sets the order a warden follows in a tall building. A low building usually leaves all at once.

1. Fire floor and the floors just above
The most critical: these leave first, by stairs free of smoke, avoiding a stair the fire brigade is using. BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
2. Down at least 2 levels
Going 2 or more levels below the fire floor is generally enough; other floors move when the command centre says so or conditions demand. BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
3. People who need help
Helped down the stairs to 2 or more floors below the fire; if they must go lower, to the top floor served by a lift bank the fire does not affect (D-9.3.5). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
4. Lifts only by rule
Never a lift that serves the fire floor; a separate bank only when the command centre confirms it is unaffected, or one run by trained staff or firefighters (D-9.3.3(f)). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
5. Sweep, then count
Wardens search toilets and closed rooms, then count regular occupants once out (D-9.3.7, D-9.3.9). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D

Fire evacuation plan template you can copy

Flamekite's own one-page layout of the Annex D headings. Copy the rows into your document and fill the middle column for your building.

	What to write	Example entry	Basis
Building BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D	Address, pin code, height, floors, uses, people by day and night	Ground plus 6, 21 m, offices, 380 by day, 12 by night	D-8.1, D-9.8
Raising the alarm BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D	How a fire is reported and who calls the fire brigade	Any person breaks the nearest call point and dials the fire brigade; reception confirms	D-2
People in charge BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D	Director, deputy, wardens by floor, out-of-hours supervisor, phone numbers	Floor 3 warden: accounts lead; deputy: front office lead	D-8.3 to D-8.6
Routes BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D	Main and alternative exit for each zone	East wing: stair A; if smoky, stair B through the corridor	D-9.10
Assistance BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D	People who need help, their helpers and the refuge or lift plan	2 wheelchair users on floor 5, 2 named helpers each	D-9.3.5
Assembly point BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D	Where everyone gathers and who counts them	Front lawn, away from the fire engine approach; wardens count by floor	D-9.3.9
Fire party BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D	Who goes to the floor below the fire, who meets the fire brigade	Maintenance team of 4; security guard as runner	D-9.5
Drills and records BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D	Frequency, last and next date, where records are kept	Every 6 months; register at reception for 3 years	D-3, D-8.9
Maps BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D	One map per floor type with exits, stairs, call points, extinguishers, assembly point, YOU ARE HERE	Posted at each lift landing and stair door	D-9.9, D-4.1
Revision BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D	Prepared by, date prepared, date revised	Revised within 30 days of the 2027 fit-out	D-5.4, D-8.15

This is a layout, not an approved format. Where your state fire service publishes its own form, use that; Gujarat's officer checks that the latest approved plan has reached occupants.

Who approves a fire evacuation plan in India

There is no single national approver. It depends on the building and the state.

High-rise
The fire authority
Annex D has the Fire Safety Plan approved by the fire authority before it goes to tenants, and amendments filed within 30 days. BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Cinemas
The licensing authority
The Supreme Court suggested in 2011 that every cinema have its evacuation plan approved by the licensing authority; Bihar's audit form checks for an approved plan. Supreme Court, Uphaar
Gujarat
Your Fire Safety Officer checks it
The licensed officer confirms the organisation chart is on each floor and the latest approved plan has reached occupants. Gujarat Fire Safety Compliance Portal
Arunachal Pradesh
Fire Services approve fire orders
Bye-law 11.25 has fire orders approved by Fire Services and drills held. AP Building Bye-Laws 2019
Everyone else
The owner, checked at inspection
Where no rule names an approver, the owner keeps the plan and the fire officer or auditor reads it at the NOC or audit visit. DGCD, MHA

Fire evacuation plan signs and maps in numbers

The sizes and distances NBC 2016 sets for the signs that carry the plan onto the walls.

300 x 200 mm
Least size of the floor board inside each stair: stair letter, floor number and the way out NBC 2016, Part 4
250 x 300 mm
Least size of the "use stairs" sign at a lift landing when it includes the stair diagram (D-4.1) BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
2 m
Highest the top of the lift landing sign may be above the floor (D-4.1) BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
75 mm
Least height of floor numerals on the stair side of each stair door (D-4.2) BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
12.5 mm
Least letter height on lift landing and stair re-entry signs (D-4.1, D-4.4) BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
30 m
Farthest any point may be from a visible exit sign (3.4.7.4) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

Fire safety plan vs fire evacuation plan: are they the same?

Mostly yes. NBC 2016 calls the whole document a Fire Safety Plan, and evacuation is its core. Two state usages differ.

Under Annex D the Fire Safety Plan holds the evacuation procedure, the people who run it, the drills and the building's fire information. In Gujarat, though, "Fire Safety Plan Approval" is the stage at which the fire service approves a building's fire drawings before construction, not an evacuation document. Goa's 2025 guidelines use a third name, a Fire and Emergency Response Plan.

One idea, three names
What	The rule	Source
NBC 2016 Annex D	Fire Safety Plan: evacuation procedure, roles, drills, signs, building form and floor plans	BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Gujarat, FSCOP portal	Fire Safety Plan Approval: approval of the fire plans of a building, the first of two approvals before the certificate	Gujarat FSCOP guide
Goa, DFES guidelines 2025	Fire and Emergency Response Plan: assembly points, headcount methods and named staff for alarms and evacuation	Goa DIP release

Evacuation map dos and don'ts

The map on the wall is the part of the plan most people ever see.

Do

Mark "YOU ARE HERE" and turn the map to match the direction the reader faces; NHSRC asks this of clinics, with the fire station's number beside it. NHSRC guidance note
Post a stair diagram with the "use stairs" sign at every lift landing, its top no higher than 2 m (D-4.1). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Name stairs and lift banks by letter on maps and doors so wardens can direct people by radio (D-4.3). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Show two routes from every zone, and the assembly point (D-9.10). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Keep a full set of floor plans at the fire control room or command post (D-9.9; DGCD item 48). DGCD, MHA

Don’t

Draw lifts or escalators as escape routes; they are not exits (4.2.2). BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
Post one map in the lobby only; hospitals need a plan on every floor (DGCD item 45). DGCD, MHA
Leave old maps up after a fit-out; amend within 30 days (D-5.4). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Route people through a stair that leads only to the basement; basements have their own stair and exits end at the discharge level (4.4.2.4.3). NBC 2016, Part 4

Fire evacuation plan mistakes inspectors find

Plans fail on paper as often as in drills. Five common faults and the fix.

If The wardens named in the plan left the company last year.
Check availability daily and update the organisation chart on each floor; the director provides substitutes (D-9.1.6, D-9.3.8). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
If Night staff do not know the plan.
Name an out-of-hours Building Evacuation Supervisor and brief night staff; Goa adds night drills for hotels and hostels. Goa DIP release
If No one is assigned to people who cannot use stairs.
Keep a current list and name helpers for each person (D-9.3.5). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
If The plan was never approved or handed out.
File it with the fire authority where required and give tenants their parts once approved (D-5.2). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
If Alarms and intercoms have not been tested since installation.
Test communication and alarm systems monthly, as the plan's prevention programme requires (D-9.7). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D

Fire evacuation plan myths

Four beliefs that make a plan look complete and fail on the day.

You may have read
In a tall building, everyone should run down at once.
Myth
What the sources say
Annex D clears the fire floor and floors above first; others move on instruction, so stairs stay usable for those in danger and for firefighters (D-9.3.3). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
You may have read
Use the lifts to get people out faster.
Myth
What the sources say
Lifts serving the fire floor are never used; others only under the command centre's word (D-9.3.3(f)). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
You may have read
The plan is a one-time document for the NOC.
Myth
What the sources say
It is amended within 30 days of any change and tested in drills every 3 to 6 months (D-5.4, D-3.1). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
You may have read
A small shop needs no plan.
Myth
What the sources say
No form may be prescribed, but someone must still raise the alarm, lead people out and count them; NHSRC asks even primary clinics for a posted evacuation map. NHSRC guidance note

Fire evacuation plans for 4 buildings

Flamekite’s working from the official rules; no government publishes this figure.

Flamekite's reading of Annex D and the sector rules for four example buildings.

Case 1
A 21 m office with 6 tenants on 6 floors
Ground plus 6, about 380 people by day.
What applies A Fire Safety Plan with a director and deputy, 6 floor wardens, a deputy per tenancy, a fire party from the maintenance team, maps at each lift landing, and an amended plan after any fit-out within 30 days. BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Case 2
A 100-bed hospital
Ground plus 4, 18 m.
What applies An evacuation plan on every floor, marked assembly areas and floor plans in the fire control room, with patients who cannot walk listed and assigned staff. DGCD, MHA
Case 3
A single-screen cinema
600 seats, one balcony.
What applies An emergency evacuation plan for the licensing authority, a pre-show film on exits and trained ushers, as the 2011 suggestions set; in Bihar the audit checks the approved plan. Supreme Court, Uphaar
Case 4
A beach club in Goa
250-seat venue with a dance floor.
What applies A written Fire and Emergency Response Plan naming staff for alarms and evacuation, assembly points and a headcount method. Goa DIP release

Keeping a fire evacuation plan current: a yearly calendar

Annex D's intervals turned into a calendar. Your state or licence may set shorter ones.

Every day
The fire safety director checks that floor wardens are present or covered (D-9.1.6). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Every month
Test the alarm and communication systems (D-9.7). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Every 3 months (first 2 years)
Drill the plan in a new high-rise; every 6 months after that (D-3.1). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
Within 30 days of a change
File an amended plan after a fit-out, new tenant, blocked stair or new system (D-5.4). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D
For 3 years
Keep each drill's written record on the premises (D-3.3). BIS, NBC 2016 Annex D

Questions about fire evacuation plans

What is a fire evacuation plan?

A written procedure, with floor maps, for getting everyone out of a building by the nearest safe exit in the least time, naming who raises the alarm, who leads each floor out, where people assemble and how they are counted.

What should a fire evacuation plan include?

NBC 2016 Annex D lists 15 parts: address, purpose, fire safety director and deputy, wardens, evacuation supervisor, fire party, occupant instructions, drills, command station, signs, prevention programme, building information form, floor plans, and who prepared and revised it.

Who approves a fire safety plan in India?

For high-rise buildings NBC 2016 Annex D has the fire authority approve it. Cinemas were to have it approved by the licensing authority under the Supreme Court's 2011 suggestions. Elsewhere the owner keeps it and the fire officer reads it at inspection.

How do I make a fire evacuation plan for my building?

List the building facts and people, zone each floor with a main and alternative route, pick an assembly point, name the director and wardens, draw floor maps with YOU ARE HERE, write one-page instructions, get it approved where required, and drill it.

How often should a fire evacuation plan be updated?

Within 30 days of any change that affects it, such as a fit-out, new tenant or new system (NBC 2016 Annex D-5.4), and after each drill shows a fault.

Where should the assembly point be?

NBC 2016 sets no distance. Choose open ground clear of the building, the fire engine's approach and the hydrants, large enough for everyone, and name it on every map and instruction card.

Can lifts be used in a fire evacuation?

Not lifts that serve the fire floor. Others only when the fire command centre confirms a bank is unaffected, or when trained staff or firefighters run them (NBC 2016 Annex D-9.3.3).

Is a fire safety plan the same as an evacuation plan?

Under NBC 2016 the Fire Safety Plan contains the evacuation plan along with roles, drills and building information. In Gujarat, Fire Safety Plan Approval means approval of the building's fire drawings instead.

Keep reading

Fire safety trainingDrill frequency, wardens and the records to keep.
Fire exit rulesThe exits and signs your routes depend on.
Refuge areaWhere people wait in a tall building.
Fire audit checklistHow auditors check the plan and drills.
Fire NOC for hospitalsHospital fire rules and drills.
Fire NOC checkerDoes your building need a fire NOC?

Words on this page, explained

Sources

Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Flamekite checks its sources

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Fire evacuation plan at a glance: 10 rules

Fire evacuation plan rules by building type and state

How to make a fire evacuation plan in 9 steps

Collect the building facts

Count people floor by floor

Zone each floor

Choose the assembly point

Name the people

Draw the maps

Write the instructions

Get it approved and hand it out

Drill it and revise it