A rally point is a pre-agreed place where members of a group converge if they are separated, and an escape plan needs three kinds: an initial point 200-500 m outside the site, intermediate points every 3-5 km along each route, and a final destination. Each needs a wait time, a way to leave a sign and a rule for what to do when someone has not arrived.
Part of Escape Route Planning
A rally point is a named, easily recognised location where a group reassembles after being scattered by an emergency, counts its members and decides where to go next.
Without Rally Points A Scattered Group Stays Scattered
In a fire, an attack or a flood, people leave by different doors and in different directions. A group with no agreed place to meet cannot be counted or reunited, and some of its members spend the next hours looking for each other in the dark. The parent article places the initial point 200-500 m from the base. It defines the purpose of a rally point as a pre-designated location where members converge if separated. It sets three types, each in its own article:
- Initial Rally Point — the first gathering place, near the site
- Intermediate Points — rests and decisions along the routes
- Final Destination — where the group is going
The phase-0 article on escape routes adds general rules: everyone knows every rally point, wait an agreed time, move on if nobody comes, and leave a sign at the point showing you were there and which way you went (Escape Routes).
What You Need
- Named, memorable places: a feature that cannot be mistaken, such as a big tree, a rock or a bridge abutment.
- A wait rule for each, agreed in advance.
- A sign system: scratched arrows, arranged stones or a broken-branch pattern agreed beforehand.
- A list of who is expected, so the count is a check against names.
- Every member knows every point, including children who can walk.
Method: Choose, Mark, Teach
Step 1: Choose the points along each route (see Route Design).
Step 2: Choose places that are concealed, defensible if possible, and easy to find in the dark.
Step 3: Fix wait times. The parent article’s wait at the initial point is 15-30 minutes maximum before moving on.
Step 4: Teach and drill. Walk to every point on every route, so each person arrives at each one without being led.
Step 5: Rehearse the sign. Test that a sign left by one person is read correctly by another.
Common Mistakes
- Too many points. Each must be remembered under stress. A few well-chosen points beat a long list.
- Points that look alike. Two oak trees are one confusing landmark.
- No rule about waiting. A group that waits too long is caught; one that leaves too early abandons its own.
- A point the youngest cannot find. If a child cannot lead themselves there, they need a buddy.
Safety
The rally point is not safe just because it has a name
A point near the building is within reach of its fire, smoke and falling debris; a point on the route may be watched. Choose the first point upwind of the building, clear of its fall zone, and check each point for flood, loose slopes and exposure before naming it. Never send anyone back into a burning building to look for a missing person: wait for the count and tell others.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Initial Rally Point — the first place the group meets
- Combine with: Accountability and Headcount — counting at the point