Warden lifecycle

Last checked: June 2025

Become an Emergency Warden

Being an Emergency Warden is part of the essential elements to ensure building emergency preparedness. There are specific requirements and procedures for the roles and responsibilities of Emergency Wardens. For any questions relating to the Emergency Warden's roles and responsibilities, please submit a ticket with Emergency and Business Resilience Team.

Emergency Warden

If you would like to become an Emergency Warden, contact your building Chief Warden. If you are not sure who this is, check  the building emergency information spreadsheet (requires UoM username and password) or refer to the emergency contact posters in your building.

Qualities that are desirable for an emergency warden to have include:

• experience, through training in emergency procedures and drills
• knowledge of the occupancy status and pattern in your building (who uses your building and what do they do?)
• trust of their fellow staff
• ability to think clearly and make decisions
• leadership – wardens should use an autocratic style of leadership when evacuating their area
• limitations – wardens need to know their own limitations (for example, fear of heights)
• quick responses when it comes to implementing actions effectively

Chief Warden

The Emergency and Business Resilience Team maintains a building emergency information spreadsheet listing all the University's Chief Wardens and their contact details.

If you would like to become a chief warden:

1. Check whether your current building already has a chief warden (look on the building emergency resources database.
2. Discuss your interest with your supervisor, head of department or senior staff member. If there is more than one department in your building, all the departments will need to discuss the matter.
3. To be added or removed from the list, please sumbit your updates here.