The Co-operators building in downtown Guelph was emptied Tuesday afternoon in what can be described as the mother of all fire drills.
In total, about 800 people were involved in the routine fire drill, said Leonard Sharman, senior communications advisor for The Co-operators Group Limited.
"We do a variety of emergency scenario planning and exercises, including fire drills four times per year at each of our offices," said Sharman by email Tuesday. "It was our main building on Macdonell, where we have approximately 800 employees, that did the drill today."
A pre-designated evacuation team wearing orange vests sweeps each floor of the building to ensure everyone is out, said Sharman. Assembly marshals conduct employee and visitor check-ins to ensure everyone is accounted for. Finally, the yellow-vested logistics team help to ensure everyone's safety during the evacuations.
Sharman said the health and safety of employees is the company's top priority.
"As an organization that specializes in risk management and responds and supports clients in times of crisis, business continuity (is) extremely important to us," he said.
