7.4 Evacuation Drills

7.4.1 General

  1. Evacuations are emergency situations which crew members must effectively manage using their knowledge of procedures and the resources available to them. Skills are developed through practice.
  2. It is recognized that for aircraft with more than one crew member, an evacuation will likely involve multiple exits and crew members. Therefore, where a drill is performed on an aircraft with more than one crew member, the drill scenario shall involve a "typical" number of crew members. Where a cabin simulator is used to conduct the drills, the number of crew members who could participate at any time shall be appropriate to the cabin simulator configuration.
  3. Each trainee shall assume an actual crew position and shall perform the designated evacuation responsibilities for that position. Where a double flight attendant seat is available and would normally be occupied by two crew members the drill shall be conducted to reflect this reality.
  4. A trainee who is to qualify on aircraft operating with more than one crew member shall perform at least one drill with additional trainees when conducting aircraft type training.
  5. Demonstration should be completed by an instructor or by video demonstration prior to trainee conduct of evacuation drills. This will allow the trainees to see theory put to practice.

7.4.2 Simulation Scenarios

  1. An evacuation drill is training and evaluation scenario, which must portray an operational flight and include abnormal and emergency occurrences and interactions amongst flight attendants flight crew members and passengers.
  2. A drill scenario must not incorporate excessive variables that would overload a trainee, but not be limited so that there is reduced value to the exercise. The variables should differ in sequence from one drill to the next and can include but are not limited to the following:
     
    1. Unserviceable exits;
    2. Inflation devices that fail or only partially inflate;
    3. Aircraft attitude which necessitates a decision to use the exit or redirect passengers;
    4. Poor visibility (e.g. darkness, smoke);
    5. Incapacitated crew members;
    6. Exits which become unusable during the evacuation;
    7. Passengers with a special need (e.g. elderly, person with a disability, etc.);
    8. Passengers in panic (e.g. positive, negative, false leadership);
    9. Failure of aircraft emergency systems (e.g. lighting, evacuation signal, communication, etc.);
    10. Decompression; and
    11. Exits which require the use of non-standard "commands" (e.g. ramp with slide,tail cone, ventral stairs, etc.).

7.4.3 Unprepared Land and Inadvertent Water Contact Evacuation Drill Performance Criteria

  1. Each trainee shall perform at least one land and one inadvertent water contact evacuation drill that incorporates the procedures pertinent to a specific exit and perform the following:
     
    1. Secure themselves in a flight attendant seat;
    2. Recognize that an emergency situation is developing and react appropriately to the drill scenario;
    3. Apply all applicable commands;
    4. Recognize when and how to initiate the evacuation (e.g. commands, evacuation horn, etc.);
    5. Activate emergency lights, evacuation horn;
    6. Assess conditions inside and outside the exit to determine exit usability throughout the evacuation;
    7. Locate and don life preserver and command passengers as appropriate;
    8. Prepare and open exit;
    9. Secure exit in fully open position or ensure correct stowage;
    10. Pull inflation handle(s) and ensure deployment, inflation of ramp, slide;
    11. Access escape tapes or escape ropes;
    12. Access release handle(s) (e.g. slide disconnect, ventral stairs, tail cone jettison, etc.);
    13. Assume appropriate protective position;
    14. Initiate passenger evacuation;
    15. Final cabin, lavatory and flight deck checks and remove required emergency equipment;
    16. Exit aircraft/trainer correctly; and
    17. Demonstrate post evacuation procedures.

7.4.4 Evaluation Criteria

  1. Trainee performance shall be observed, rated and debriefed according to:
     
    1. Correct usage seat mechanism, restraint system and brace position as appropriate for seat direction, location and drill scenario;
    2. Correct and timely reaction to emergency situations;
    3. Consistent usage of appropriate terminologies (e.g. commands, ABP briefings) with clear, positive, authoritative communication techniques, as appropriate for drill scenario;
    4. Activates emergency lights, evacuation horn;
    5. Selects appropriate exit for the evacuation scenario and the aircraft type;
    6. Assesses conditions inside and outside the exit to determine exit usability throughout evacuation (e.g. clear of obstruction, fire, aircraft attitude, flow rate, slide conditions, etc.);
    7. Preparation and correct operation of exit;
    8. Secures exit in the fully open position or ensures correct stowage;
    9. Pulls inflation handle(s) and verifies deployment, inflation of ramp, slide;
    10. Correctly accesses escape tapes or escape ropes;
    11. Assumes and maintains appropriate protective body and hand positions;
    12. Effective usage of able-bodied persons for special needs passengers (e.g. assisting outside aircraft and directing people away from the aircraft or onto flotation devices, crowd control, etc.);
    13. Adequacy of cabin checks, removal of equipment and additional supplies as scenario and operator procedures dictate;
    14. Correctly accesses release handle(s) (e.g. slide disconnect, ventral stairs, tail cone jettison, etc.);
    15. Correctly applies procedures as related to scenario;
    16. Correctly applies post evacuation procedures; and
    17. Consequences of errors.

7.4.5 Crew Prepared Land and Ditching Evacuation Drill Performance Criteria

  1. Each trainee shall participate as a crew member in at least one prepared Land evacuation drill and at least one Ditching drill and perform the following:
     
    1. Recognize the in-flight emergency signal from the flight deck and react according to procedures;
    2. Prepare passengers, cabin and self according to procedures and scenario;
    3. Select and brief able-bodied passengers to assist as required (e.g. opening non-crewed exits, removal, launching rafts, crowd control, buddy-up with special needs passengers, assisting outside aircraft and directing people away from the aircraft or onto rafts);
    4. Recognize the emergency brace and evacuation signals and react accordingly;
    5. Prepare and operate exits;
    6. Evacuate passengers;
    7. Final cabin, lavatory and flight deck checks, remove required emergency equipment, and evacuate aircraft/trainer; and
    8. Demonstrate post evacuation procedures.

7.4.6 Evaluation Criteria

  1. Trainee performance shall be observed, rated and debriefed according to the contents of 7.4.4 and the following:
     
    1. Correct application of emergency landing preparation procedures;
    2. Awareness of and appropriate response to passenger behaviour, exit/slide condition, passenger flow rates, interior and exterior condition changes;
    3. Communication acknowledgement;
    4. Problem identification and alternate solutions;
    5. Accuracy in briefing of ABPs;
    6. Adequacy of cabin checks, removal of equipment and additional supplies as scenario and operator procedures dictates;
    7. Drill participants shall demonstrate awareness of the duties/responsibilities that must be completed following the evacuation scenario (e.g. equipment responsibilities, life-raft/dinghy duties, head count, flotation responsibilities, protection from the elements, location, movement of passengers to a safe area, first aid, etc.) according to air operator's procedures; and
    8. Consequences of error.