Posted By Alison Dando As the annual fire training is work based in a NHS Trust, our fire officer has come up with some approaches over the years: get the staff to participate in a DIY video of them sounding the alarm, evacuating the patients,using a fire extinguisher to put out a metal waste bin fire (pretend one!)etc and give it to the work area, do a question/answer session with staff so that they do a fire risk assessment of their work area and purchasing videos that deal with specifically with the different work areas e.g.catering, office based staff etc.. with the variety of work areas in an NHS Trust the sky's the limit and it's less boring for you having to do the same session again and again. Make it fun for them, so that they get the message which is a serious one.

Posted By Jerry Tucker As an idea try blind-folding the group then let them sort them selves out in a simulated fire drill. (Obviously don't do this on a flat roof with no guide rail 3 stories up.) Having worked in outdoor education for many years this was a very efective way of learning ones limitations when your primary sence is deprived. I.E. a smoke filled room/ building. Also look for the resurch in 'evacuation computer models', (why does every-body go for the smallest exit.)and the 'negetive panick effect'(the midlands air crash when most passengers died because they where told to stay put / piper alfa (muster points) Ok. the last two are 'a bit heavy' but similar senerios could be done in a lecture room. Tell them not to move UNDER ANY CERCOMSTANCES then create a senerio with say a local theatrical group involing them and set the alarm off. Hope this is usefull. Jerry Tucker