I incorporate my 29 years of experience as an Austin Firefighter and 14 years as owner and operator of Fired Up Solutions as part of the lesson plan, while sharing a perspective on Austin Fire Department (AFD) / Austin Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS) response protocols. My experience stems from years as a firefighter assigned to the Public Education division, specializing in Floor Warden/Evacuation trainings.
In addition, the trainings are designed to address an overall overview in preventing and responding to workplace medical and fire emergencies in general. Specializing in the greater Austin and surrounding areas, I offer a personal service catered to your location and a time that works best for your training needs.
Testimonials:
I have had the pleasure of working with Eli for the past seven years at our commercial property, and he has consistently been outstanding! He is extremely knowledgeable, professional, and personable. What truly sets Eli apart is his ability to make his presentations not only informative but also fun, engaging, and interactive. Our tenants genuinely enjoy his presentations and always look forward to participating. His enthusiasm, expertise, and dedication shine through in everything he does. We truly value our continued partnership with Eli and highly recommend him! – Miriam G. / Oakpoint Real Estate / 1701 Directors Blvd. 10/27/2026
Thank you so much for coming out and leading two trainings back-to-back and keeping the energy throughout! We truly appreciate the time and effort you put into this as well as walking the property with the team to give further advice. Your experience with emergency preparedness exceeded our expectations. – Andre B. / Cousins Properties – Domain 7 10/21/2026
Thank you so much for coming out and leading the training yesterday. The team really loved having you here, and we truly appreciate the time and effort you put into making the session both informative and engaging. – Mia M. Hines Real Estate Co. / 405 Colorado 8/20/2026
Eli is awesome and so knowledgeable on all things fire & life safety! He has done a few Fire Warden training sessions for us and each time has been a great experience. The session was easy to follow, informative, and actually enjoyable. You can tell Eli really knows his stuff and cares deeply about what he does. If you need fire safety training in Austin, he’s the one to call! – Rachel M. /1608 W 5th St. Vista Ridge Property 7/8/2025
My review is definitely five stars! Eli Santiago lead the floor warden training for our commercial office tenants located at the Domain, prior to our annual fire drills. He is an animated speaker, always keeping the crowd engaged and entertained. He diligently covers fire safety, both at home and in the office. He takes charge of his training’s and away from our busy duties as property managers . I highly recommend his services! – Megan M. / 10025 Alterra Parkway / HPI Real Estate Management Inc. 10/13/2024
Conducting floor warden training is essential as it establishes a clear chain of command, ensures rapid organized building evacuations, and protects occupant safety during emergencies. Floor warden training reduces panic, ensures complete accountability and supports mobility impaired occupants. Floor Warden training improves communication between the fire department and the evacuees while maintaining compliance, satisfying workplace regulations, and avoiding penalties or liability issues.
Average training course duration is approximately one hour. Includes consultations and unlimited amount of attendees – $289 (Please refer to the “Contact Me” page to submit your training request). To schedule an appearance of an AFD fire apparatus at a fire drill, call 512-974-0290 or email theresa.sifuentes@austintexas.gov / A two week notice is required.
* All topics can be modified or omitted to accommodate the requesting organizations training needs.
Floor Warden responsibilities
Large and in Charge!
- Floor Warden duties and responsibilities
- Assigning Floor Wardens / Alternate Floor Wardens
- Accountability of all personnel
- Directing people quickly and calmly to the nearest safe exits
- Sweep and clear areas, enlisting the help of searchers
- When to evacuate / When not to evacuate
- Where to evacuate to / Assembly Area(s)
Pull Stations
Sound the Alarm, empowering occupants to take immediate action!
- PULL and CALL 911
- What occurs when a pull station is activated
- Floor sequence activation
- Requiring placement near exits and along escape routes
- As of 2003 pull stations are optional in fully sprinklered buildings
Smoke Alarms / Smoke Detectors
The cheapest “Life Insurance” you can buy !
- A working smoke alarm will increase survivability by up to 50-60%
- 60% of all fire-related deaths occur in homes without a working smoke alarm
- Tailored to protect large properties, integrated into alarm systems
- Maintaining and placement of smoke alarms
- The behavior of smoke – GET LOW and GO !
- Carbon Monoxide – the silent killer
Exits
When in doubt – GET OUT !!
- Always have TWO ways out
- Knowing location of stairwells
- Stairwell monitors, inspecting for any hazards before letting others enter
- Pressurized stairwells (Hi-rise requirement)
- Keeping all exit areas clear of all obstructions
- Sheltering mobility impaired occupants in stairwells / Area of refuge
Fire Extinguishers
Using one as easy as ABC
- Call 911 – Get help on the way
- Portable fire extinguishers extinguish 80% of small fires
- The four classes of fires that can be extinguished
- When to fight or get out of sight!
- P ull the pin
- A im it at the base of the fire
- S queeze the handle
- S weep from side to side, while slowly moving in
- Draping a fire blanket over the fire as an additional option
Fire Drills
No time to Chill during a Fire Drill – The 3/1 Rule
- Satisfying workplace regulations, while avoiding penalties or liability issues
- Fire drills are essential for saving lives and minimizing injuries
- Getting the Fire Department involved to evaluate the fire drill
- Ensuring a fast, orderly evacuation during an emergency
- Locating your assembly area(s)
- Assembly Area Warden and Chief Floor Warden duties
STAIRWELL PROCEDURES
Taking steps to assure your safety
- Always have two ways out!
- Always know the location of stairwells
- Assist in an orderly flow of occupants toward stairwells
- Sheltering mobility impaired occupants in stairwells / Area of refuge
- The most heavily fortified constructed part of a building
- Keep all pathways leading to exits free of all obstructions
- Assigning stairwell monitors
Medical Emergencies –
CALL 911 – Arrive Alive !
- Medical Emergencies accounts for 70% of AFD’s responses
- Addressing AFD & EMS emergency response protocol’s
- CALL 911 with the exact location, posting someone to flag down responding units
- Knowing locations of a First Aid kit(s) and AED’s (Automated External Defibrillator)
- Remaining on the phone while the 911 operator provides treatment instructions
- Organizing a Medical Response Team
CPR/AED/FIRST AID Certifications/Training also offered (Please visit the CPR/AED & First Aid Training page for further details)
Weather Emergencies –
When Thunder Roars, Stay Indoors!
- Where to go if a Tornado strike is imminent
- Seeking shelter in stairwells and bathrooms, sheltering in place
- Stairwells are the safest areas for sheltering in place, away from doors and windows
- Monitoring for severe weather precautions
- Flood threat – Don’t Drown, Turn Around !
Other topics & emergencies covered by the lesson plan:
- Mobility Impaired Occupants
- Elevator emergencies
- Bomb threat
- Power failure
- Sprinkler systems
Home Fire Safety
80% of fires occur at home – most happen at night.
- The five major causes of home fires
- Children and the Elderly are most vulnerable to fire injuries and fire deaths
- The TWO WAYS to survive a house fire
- Exit Drills In The Home (E.D.I.T.H)
- Maintaining smoke alarms/carbon monoxide detectors
- Having a meeting place, in front and away from the fire, never in the backyard
- GET OUT & STAY OUT!
