High Rise Handbook_ Fire Emergency

8/6/2019 High Rise Handbook_ Fire Emergency

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High Rise Emergency Handbook

Fire

Civil Disturbance

Medical Emergencies

Earthquake

Severe Weather

Provided by the Bellevue Fire

Department with assistance from

the Bellevue Police Department

City of Bellevue


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City of Bellevue - High Rise Emergency Handbook Page 1

Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 2

High Rise Fire Saety and Prevention............................................................................... 3Bellevue Fire Code 23.11.404.3.2 .......................................................................................... 3

Emergency Operations Plan................................................................................................... 6

Fire Drills and Other raining Opportunities ...................................................................... 11

Emergencies Due to Human Activity ..............................................................................13

Workplace Violence.............................................................................................................. 1

Civil Disturbance ................................................................................................................. 14

Suspicious Packages .............................................................................................................. 15Bomb Treats ....................................................................................................................... 16

Weapons o Mass Destruction ............................................................................................. 17

Hazardous Materials Accidents ............................................................................................ 19

Medical Emergencies ........................................................................................................... 20

Emergencies Related to Natural Disasters .......................................................................21

Earthquakes .......................................................................................................................... 21

Severe Storms ....................................................................................................................... 22

Landslides ............................................................................................................................ 22

Flooding ............................................................................................................................... 23

Appendices ....................................................................................................................24

Developing Emergency Management Procedures................................................................ 24

Property Vulnerability Assessment ....................................................................................... 26

Business Continuity Planning .............................................................................................. 27

Photo credit: David Johanson Vasquez


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Page 2 City of Bellevue - High Rise Emergency Handbook

IntroductionTis handbook is intended to assist building owners,property managers and others who are responsible oremergency management. Emergency management isthe process o preparing or, responding to and recov-ering rom emergencies caused by the orces o nature,an accident, or an intentional act that constitutes adanger to lie or property.

While re prevention and preparedness remain theocus o this handbook, additional inormation isprovided addressing other types o emergencies. Tisinormation should be used as a platorm rom which

to develop procedures addressing other types o di-saster situations. Additional resources are listed at theend o each chapter to encourage urther research intothese types o situations.

Preparation is the key to an eective response to anyemergency. An Emergency Operations Plan shouldnot be developed under the stress associated with anemergency that is already underway. Although plan-ning is a critical rst step, training, drills and regulartests o building saety eatures and equipment areimportant tools.


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High Rise Fire Safety and Prevention1991 - One Meridian Plaza Fire in Philadel-phia, Pennsylvania.Auto-ignition o oil-soaked rags started a rethat took the lives o three reghters and injuredmany members o the custodial sta. Fireght-ers were orced to abandon the building due toailure o almost all components o the re and liesaety systems within the building. Te re, whichstarted on the 22nd oor, was extinguished 14hours later by sprinklers on the 27th oor. Tis rehighlighted the importance o condence testingor re and lie saety systems and the eective-ness o sprinklers.

2001 - World Trade Center Towers in NewYork City.Hijackers deliberately crashed two 767 airplanesinto the owers. Te ensuing res led to eventualcollapse o the owers. Beore the jet ueled rescaused collapse, 99% o the occupants below theimpacted oors evacuated and survived. Te PortAuthority had previously updated its evacuationplan and took evacuation drills seriously. Among

other lessons, the survivors o this disaster dem-onstrate the importance o regular and requentevacuation drills.

Bellevue Fire Code23.11.404.3.2Bellevue Fire Code 23.11.404.3.2 sets minimum reand lie saety standards or high rise buildings. In the

City o Bellevue, a high rise is dened as any buildingwith occupied oors 75 eet or higher, above the low-est level o Fire Department access. Simply put, thismeans most buildings over six oors are considered ahigh rise, with some exceptions.

Fire is one o the most common risks to buildings,property and lie saety. In order to minimize the riskand impact o re, the Bellevue Fire Code outlines re-quirements or owners and managers o certain typeso buildings and occupancies to develop and imple-ment a Fire Saety Plan. Many buildings will alreadyhave an Emergency Operations Plan.Equipment and procedures dealing with egress andexit acilities, re alarm systems, voice communicationsystems, re suppression systems and other lie saetydevices and eatures will play a major role in enhanc-ing occupant saety in the event o a re and/or explo-

sion. Property owners and managers must ensure thatthese lie saety eatures are maintained in operablecondition and ready or use at all times.Te re service, similar to most industries, learns romexperience. Tere have been several res that havechanged attitudes about re saety in our nations highrise buildings. Te res briey described below em-phasize the merit o the saety standards now requiredo high rise buildings around the country.

1980 - MGM Grand Hotel Fire in Las Vegas,Nevada.Smoke rom a small re on the casino oor quick-ly spread throughout the building. Eighty vepeople died and 650 were taken to hospitals orsmoke inhalation. Tis re taught the re servicethe importance o controlling the spread o smoke.

1988 - First Interstate Building Fire in Los

Angeles, Caliornia.Te exact cause o this re was never determined.Building sta allowed this re to grow uncheckedor over 20 minutes by silencing the alarm threetimes beore investigating the source o the alarm.Tis re emphasized the benet o central stationmonitoring o high rise re and lie saety systems.


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Te Bellevue Fire Code was written to prevent redisasters rom happening in Bellevue by requiring: Designatedbuildingstatrainedtocoordinate

building response to re emergencies.

Regulatedinstallation,maintenanceandtest-ing o re and lie saety systems. AnEmergencyOperationPlanoutliningre

response procedures. Buildingstatrainedtorespondduringare

emergency. Tenanteducationregardingemergencyevacu-

ation procedures.

Fire and Lie SaetySystemsAs each high rise building is unique, the re and liesaety systems installed within each building vary. It isimportant that building managers and engineers ullyunderstand how the re and lie saety systems withintheir building operate. Te ollowing explanations aresimplied. I you have questions regarding the spe-cic unctions o your buildings systems, contact thecondence testing company or re alarm monitoringservice contracted or your building.

Fire Alarm System

Initiating Device(s) - Initiates re alarm signal. Ex-amples: smoke detectors, heat detectors, sprinkler owswitch, manual pull station.

Monitoring Device - Fire alarm panel, located in thebuilding Fire Command Center. Normally located onthe rst oor o the high rise near the main entrance.

Signaling Device - Alerts building occupants tothe alarm. Audible and visual alarms may signal onall oors (general alarm system) or only on oors inthe immediate vicinity o re (zoned alarm system).Examples: alarm horns, strobe lights.

Zoned Alarm System - Fire alarm systems pro-grammed to signal alarm on a controlled number ooors. Zoned alarm systems provide or controlledevacuation o building occupants.

General Alarm System - Fire alarm sounds onall oors o the building. All occupants evacuate tothe designated outside meeting place. Tis system isound in older high rise buildings.

Voice Alarm - System used or emergency an-nouncements during alarm conditions. Messages canbe either programmed as an automatic unction othe re alarm system or can be read by the Fire SaetyDirector during emergency situations.

Central Station Monitoring Company - 24-hourmonitoring company contracted by property manage-ment to relay re alarm inormation via 911 to theBellevue Fire Department. Tose buildings that have a

24-hour staed re alarm panel may be exempt romthis requirement.

Elevator Recall - Upon activation o a smoke detec-tor in the elevator lobby, the elevator shat, or the ma-chine room, the elevators are recalled to the buildinglobby. For all other re alarm activations the elevatorswill continue to run as normal. Elevators are not to beused during a re evacuation because elevators mayail and trap occupants or the elevator shats may act

as chimneys, allowing smoke to travel up the shatand injure occupants.

Exits - All high rises have at least two exit stairwells,entered into through sel-closing re-rated doors. Atleast one o these stairwells will exit to the outside othe building. One stair may discharge to a street oorlobby.


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Automatic Door Unlocks In high rise buildingswith phased evacuation, all stairwell doors must beunlocked when the building enters an alarm phase.Tis is accomplished by always leaving doors unlockedor having automatic ail sae doors that unlock im-mediately upon alarm activation, thus eliminating the

chance o someone becoming trapped within a stair-well.

Automatic Closing Doors - Doors leading intostairwells are required to be sel-closing, sel-latching,and re-rated. Tis reduces the probability o smokeand ame entering the evacuation route(s).

Smoke Control

HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition-ing) System - Normal operations are shut down dur-ing alarm situations to limit spread o smoke through-out the building.

Shat Pressurization - A system o dedicated ansthat, upon alarm, pump air into stairwell and elevatorshats to create a high-pressure atmosphere. Pres-surization inhibits smoke spread; thus helping keepevacuation routes ree o smoke.

Tempered Glass - Windows designated by a threeinch dot in the lower third o the window are installedor Fire Department use to vent smoke and heat romthe oor. When broken, the glass breaks into manysmall pieces, instead o into large dangerous shards.Only a ew o the older buildings in Bellevue havethese dots on the windows.

Emergency Generator - On-site diesel engine gen-erator is required in case o power loss. A generatorwill run or a minimum o eight-hours to power there and lie saety systems.

Standpipes - Water pipe in high rise stairwells thatsupply water or reghting operations and sprinklers.

Sprinkler Systems - Sprinkler systems are designedto control res while relatively small. Each sprinklerhead discharges separately once the heat in the roomhas melted the shunt, thus allowing water to ow.

Portable Fire Extinguishers

Portable ire extinguishers -Requiredtobein-stalled on the wall and inspected or serviced at leastonce a year. Portable re extinguishers are designedto put out small contained res and should only beused by trained persons ater 911 has been called andevacuation o the immediate area has begun.

Trained Building Sta

Fire Saety Director and AlternateTe Bellevue Fire Department recommends that aFire Saety Director and Alternate be appointed bythe building owner(s) or all high rise buildings. Teirprimary responsibility is to manage re emergen-cies rom the re alarm control center, then meet theresponding Fire Department personnel as they arriveto assume control o the situation. Fire Saety Direc-tors can be building engineers, maintenance or secu-rity sta, building and resident managers, or propertymanagers who have been assigned primary responsi-bility or the re and lie saety procedures o a highrise building in the City o Bellevue.Te Fire Saety Directors responsibilities shouldinclude: Schedulingmaintenanceandtestingofthe

buildings re and lie saety systems. MaintainingtheEmergencyOperationsPlan.

Recruitingandtrainingstaand/ortenantstoperorm the duties o oor wardens.

SchedulingannualredrillswiththeBellevueFire Department.


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Floor Wardens

Te Bellevue Fire Department recommends recruit-ment o at least two oor wardens per oor rom staand tenants to acilitate the evacuation o their ten-ant space when the alarm sounds, a re is discovered,or when instructed to do so. Floor wardens (residentvolunteers) are recommended or residential condo-miniums and apartment occupancies that dont em-ploy sta.Floor wardens should participate in training at leastonce a year. As part o the emergency response team,oor wardens should be amiliar with the emergencyresponse plan and the roles o other members o theteam. Floor wardens should know how to initiate are alarm i a re is discovered prior to the activationo the building alarm system. Floor wardens shouldhave a working knowledge o the evacuation plan ortheir oor, including the procedures or those personsunable to use exit stairwells. Floor wardens should beamiliar with re saety behaviors to ollow during thecourse o a re emergency.

In order to provide oor wardens with a sense o au-thority and to make them highly visible during evacu-ations, they should be given a hat, vest, etc. to wear

during the evacuation process. Additional identica-tion can be supplied by signage at the oor wardensdesk or cubicle, or a list o oor wardens posted onthe oor. It is also recommended that oor wardensbe supplied with ashlights. Tese have proven to behelpul in previous emergency evacuations o high risebuildings.

Sta Liability

Protection rom liability may be provided under statelaw i oor wardens are assigned in accordance with apredetermined plan; appointed by a re chie duringthe emergency and/or; dont commit an act o grossnegligence or wanton misconduct.Te law reads: No building warden, who acts in goodaith, with or without compensation, shall be person-ally liable or civil damages arising rom his or hernegligent acts or omissions during the course o as-

signed duties in assisting others to evacuate industrial,commercial, governmental or multi-unit residentialbuildings or in attempting to control or alleviate ahazard to the building or its occupants caused by re,earthquake or other threat to lie or limb. Te termbuilding warden means an individual who is as-

signed to take charge o the occupants on a oor or inan area o a building during an emergency in accor-dance with a predetermined re saety or evacuationplan; and/or an individual selected by a municipal rechie or the state re marshal ater an emergency is inprogress to assist in evacuating the occupants o sucha building or providing or their saety. Tis sectionshall not apply to any acts or omissions constitutinggross negligence or willul or wanton misconduct.(RCW4.24.400)

Emergency Operations PlanTe basic objectives o an Emergency OperationsPlan (EOP) are:

Tosetforththefunctionsandactivitiesofyour sta during an emergency.

Tomakesurethattheseactivitiesintegrate

with responding reghters and are not coun-terproductive during the re control phase.

ToserveasaninformationresourcetotheFireDepartment during an emergency.

Tomaintaindocumentationregardingallre-quired tests o the buildings re and lie saetysystems.

An EOP must present required inormation in aconsistent and recognizable ormat to be useul tobuilding sta and to reghters. Building sta will beable to use this document as a guideline or scheduledtraining exercises and building re drills. Fireghterswill use this document as a training tool to amiliarizethemselves with the unctions o building re and liesaety systems and evacuation procedures prior to anemergency response.


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One copy o the approved Emergency OperationsPlan should be located at or near the Fire AlarmControl Center o your building. Te EOP should bekept current and reviewed regularly as specied withinthe plan.

Te ollowing inormation describes what inormationshould be contained in an EOP and how this inor-mation should be organized. Emergency OperationsPlans should be stored in a three-ring notebook withpage dividers separating sections.

Introduction

For reviewing purposes it is helpul to have a briedescription o the building included. Tis descriptioncould include inormation regarding a oor by oorbreakdown o occupancy type(s), as well as detailsabout any special hazards present due to buildingdesign, tenant, or neighboring buildings/structures.

Section 1. Responsibilities

Building Management

Provide the contact inormation or those memberso building sta assigned responsibilities during and

ater a re emergency, including the building managerand building engineer.

Training

Provide schedules and detailed procedures used toestablish an ongoing emergency training program orall building re saety personnel. Describe areas to becovered and the requency o the training or manage-ment sta, maintenance/engineering sta, security

sta, and all other sta. Maintain complete trainingand testing records or all sta and tenants includingre drills.

EOP MaintenanceOutline the scope and requency o methods that willbe used to keep the Emergency Operations Plan cur-rent.

Section 2. Fire Reporting

Automatic Fire Reporting SystemsList the types o systems/devices that will activate thealarm. Indicate all emergency control panel locations.

List the location o the primary control panel. Includecontact inormation or the alarm monitoring com-pany. Outline the actions o the Emergency ControlCenter attendant to the activation o each automaticsystem.

911 Notication

Indicate which sta member or position noties theBellevue Fire Department o an alarm situation. oacilitate the reporting process the caller must be pre-pared to provide inormation as it is requested (natureo emergency, correct building address, specic inor-mation regarding the source o alarm). Te assignedsta member should also be instructed to stay on thephone until instructed to hang up and to provide allspecic inormation known, i.e. oor number, detailso emergency, etc.

Nuisance/False Alarm Reporting

Upon discovery that an alarm situation is either anuisance or alse situation the designated sta personshould call 911 to report the alarm status to the 911dispatcher. Fire apparatus will still arrive to veriythat a alse/nuisance alarm has been indicated. Tealarm shall not be silenced or reset unless specicallyauthorized by a Chie Ofcer in the Bellevue FireDepartment. Silencing an alarm may place buildingoccupants in harms way because a re may actuallybe occurring. Ater a thorough investigation, Fire

Department personnel may silence the alarm aterdetermining the alarm initiation was not due to a re.Resettinganalarmmayeraseinformationneededtotroubleshoot an alarm system problem.


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Section 3. Evacuation

Evacuation Methods

Procedures will dier depending upon the type obuilding and re and lie system installed. Te Bel-

levue Fire Code requires the re alarm to sound at aminimum on the re oor, the oor above, and theoor below. Te alarm may sound on more oors inyour building depending upon how the re and liesaety system has been programmed and the age othe system. In buildings that are 10 stories and short-er, the alarm will sound on all oors in the buildingand the entire building will evacuate. Te evacuationinstructions in the EOP must address whether build-ing management will conduct a controlled or generalevacuation o the building and will provide detaileddescriptions o the recommended evacuation proce-dures or building occupants.

Phased Evacuation Method

A zoned alarm provides control to the evacuationprocess by allowing those occupants closest to thedetected danger to move to saety rst. I the situationescalates, the alarm system will respond appropriatelyby increasing the numbers o oors in alarm as neces-

sary. Due to the sophistication o re protection sys-tems and the installation o sprinklers in newer highrise buildings there is no immediate need to evacuatemore people than are directly threatened. I everyperson were to evacuate at the same time stairwellpressurization could be lost when all doors open at thesame time. Evacuating all oors at once may createserious backups in the stairwells which could causerustration and anxiety, as well as impede reghtersingress.

Recommendedinstructionsforazonedalarmsysteminstruct occupants to evacuate the oor using thestairwells, go down our (4) oors, reenter the build-ing and await urther instructions. Do not enter aoor where the alarm is sounding. Instead continuedown until you reach a oor that is not in alarm. Tebottom ve (5) oors evacuate to a designated meet-ing area outside o the building.

Full Building Evacuation Method

I the building re alarm system activates on everyoor o the building when a re is detected, all per-sons must evacuate together. In this situation oorwardens and occupants should be well trained to

understand the procedures, including the importanceo going directly to and staying at the designatedoutside meeting place in order to conduct a headcount. Te designated meeting place should be locatedar enough away rom the building to protect tenantsrom hazards o alling glass and debris, and to pro-vide reghters on scene room to conduct operationsunhindered.Non-ambulatory evacuation procedures: Describe the

people, methods, procedures, etc. to acilitate evacu-ation o people that are unable to leave the aectedarea without assistance. Floor wardens should assistwith the appointment o persons to assist each in-dividual whose limited mobility would prevent theirevacuation by way o the exit stairwells. Tis shouldbe done beore a re emergency so that all personsinvolved will have time to become amiliar withtheir course o action. Aected individuals should beinstructed to shelter in the stairwells and call 911 toadvise their location in the building and the condi-tions in the area.Tis section should also provide inormation regard-ing suggested areas o reuge that may be used duringa re emergency i the stairwell is not available or saeAn area o reuge is a totally enclosed room with atelephone and window. Te telephone can be used tocall 911 and give notication o your location i youare in immediate danger.

Non-ambulatory evacuation procedures will dierdepending upon the type o occupancy.

Nonresidential Buildings

Te ollowing instructions assume that the individualis a regular occupant o the building, and that a co-worker has agreed to assist with evacuation. Bothindividuals should wait near the exit stairwell until all


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persons on the oor have evacuated and trafc in theexit stairwell has cleared. Once the oor is clear theyshould enter the stairwell and wait on the landingor urther instructions or assistance. Make sure thatthe door is securely closed and that a oor warden isreporting to the Building management team or arriv-

ing Fireghters. Fireghters will be sent to assist withcontinued evacuation as necessary. I trafc in the exitstairwell builds rom the evacuation o upper oors,re-enter the oor to allow others to pass and the stair-well to clear. Assistant(s) should not attempt a carryunless conditions in the stairwell become threatening.I conditions do deteriorate, the assistant(s) can thenperorm a carry down the stairs to a saer area. I thereis no one to assist or i there are too many individu-als to wait on the landing, an area o reuge should be

sought on the oor.In the event that a visitor to that oor is in need oevacuation assistance, oor wardens need to be pre-pared to provide the necessary assistance.

Residential Buildings

In residential occupancies, tenants unable to use exitstairwells are best advised to stay in their apartmentunits with the door securely shut. I the re is in thetenants apartment, the tenant should leave their unitshutting the door behind them and either go to aneighbors unit or wait on the stairwell landing.I a tenant hears the re alarm and the re is not intheir unit they should close as many doors as possible.Closed doors will slow down the spread o smoke andames. Place towels or pillows at the bottom o thedoor to ll any space that smoke may come through.Sit as close as possible to the oor where the resh-

est air will be and wait or urther assistance. Dontbreak windows, this could allow smoke rom outsidethe building to enter. Placing something colored andnoticeable in the window may help notiy the FireDepartment o your location. I smoke begins to enterthe unit, call 911 rom the phone and report the situ-ation to the dispatcher.

Tese instructions are very important. I stairways andhalls are lling with smoke, tenants must remain intheir units and not attempt a risky escape. With per-mission, the names and locations o those tenants thatare unable to use stairs to exit can be kept on a rosterstored at the re alarm panel. Tis roster can then be

easily accessible to the Fire Department in order toprovide assistance to these residents when necessary.

Floor Wardens

Maintain a roster o those persons assigned the dutieso oor wardens; include their oor or zone assign-ments. Provide an outline o oor warden responsi-bilities during an emergency which should include:assist with the evacuation o their oor by conducting

a sweep o all areas, close doors while sweeping theoor, coordinate the evacuation o those unable to useexit stairs and report any problems to the Fire SaetyDirector or available re department personnel.Even though oor wardens are not required in resi-dential occupancies without sta, the Bellevue FireDepartment strongly encourages oor wardens tobe recruited rom the tenants o high rise residentialbuildings. As the oor wardens are evacuating thebuilding they can assist their neighbors.

Emergency Messages

It is important to let tenants know what is happeningin their building during an emergency. Use the voicealarm system during emergency situations to keepbuilding occupants inormed. Ater the re alarmsituation is ended, notiy all tenants o the situationand its resolution. Tese communications will providereal lie educational opportunities or tenants regard-

ing re emergency procedures.Develop scripts o dierent emergency messages oryour building. Tese messages can either be read orprogrammed into the buildings re and lie saetysystem. You may wish to develop emergency messagesor the ollowing situations: oors in alarm, oors notin alarm, investigating alarm, all clear. Include copieso these messages in your EOP.


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Tenant Orientation Handout

Include a copy o the enant Orientation Handoutdescribing what will happen during an emergency,what evacuation routes and procedures a tenantshould ollow, and the location o the designated

outside meeting place. Describe how and when thisinormation will be given to all building tenants.

Section 4. Owners Fire ControlProcedures

Building Staf Responsibilities

Include outlines o all procedures to be ollowed bythe Building Engineer and other trained building sta

during a re emergency. Describe who, what, when,where, and how assigned individuals will completetheir assigned tasks.

Fire Saety Director: Reportdirectlytotheemergency control center; meet the respond-ing re department personnel, etc.

Other Sta: (Alternate Fire Saety Direc-tor, Engineering and Management person-nel) ransmit prepared emergency evacuation

instructions via the voice alarm; investigatesource o alarm; shut down utilities whennecessary; notiy o-site personnel necessaryto return building to normal operations, etc.

Section 5. Post Fire Operations

BusinessRecovery:Describeproceduresforreturningthe building to operating condition once the re isout and the emergency is over. List the contact in-ormation or all contracted individuals or companies

responsible or the ollowing: insurance carrier(s) orthe building and or major tenants, security o anydamaged area, building re protection/detection ser-vice companies to return systems to normal operation,and debris removal.

Section 6. Building Equipment Testing

Condence esting: List the systems and equipmentsubject to condence testing requirements. Includethe required requency o testing and any pertinentinormation, such as testing company, records, etc.

Section 7. High Value List

Provide a list o areas that contain high value materi-als susceptible to water damage, assembly rooms, androoms containing above average amounts o combus-tible or hazardous materials.

Section 8. Shut-O Valve List

List the locations o all utility shut o valves includ-

ing water, power; gas, and sprinkler system mainand sectional valves. Describe any unusual operatingtechniques. List all locked out oors and the location(accessible to the Bellevue Fire Department) o themaster keys, i necessary.

Section 9. Floor Plans and Site Plans

Provide a copy o each unique oor plan showing thetype o occupancy in each tenant area. Floor plansshould indicate areas o open ofce space, retail space,labs, closed ofce congurations, garage levels, me-chanical rooms, etc. and should have a directionalindicator. One oor plan marked accordingly can besubmitted or similar oors.

Floor plans must also include the locations o the ol-lowing: Primaryevacuationroutes. Secondaryevacuationroutes. Accessibleegressroutes. Areasofrefuge. Manualrealarmboxes. Portablereextinguishers. Firealarmannunciatorsandcontrols. Occupant-usehosestations.


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A site plan must also be submitted and should indi-cate the ollowing: eexteriorassemblypointforoccupants. elocationsofrehydrants. enormalroutesofredepartmentvehicle

access.

Fire Drill and Other TenantTraining RequirementsIt is the responsibility o the Fire Saety Directorto develop methods to inorm building occupantsabout emergency procedures and to provide trainingon these procedures. Building management sta and

tenants who understand their role in a re emergencywill be better able to respond when the re alarmsounds. Floor wardens who understand their respon-sibilities during evacuation will be better resources ortheir coworkers. Building occupants who understandthe evacuation procedures are more likely to partici-pate in re drills.

Conducting Drills

Fire drills are required a minimum o once a year in

high rise buildings in Bellevue. Te drills should beconducted in accordance with procedures set orthin the buildings Emergency Operations Plan. Allbuilding sta and tenants should participate in drillscoordinated by building management in cooperationwith the Bellevue Fire Department. Even though resi-dential occupants are not required to participate theyshould be encouraged to do so.Fire drills are intended to test both the level o sta

emergency preparedness and the evacuation proce-dures during a re alarm situation. It is important thatbuilding sta ully understand their role in the evento a re alarm and know what to do i the Fire SaetyDirector is not in the building. It is equally importantthat the evacuation procedures set orth in the EOPprovide or an orderly and expedient evacuation.

Make your re drills as realistic as possible. In a redrill, building occupants should duplicate as closely aspossible the actions they would take i a re occurred.Ater building tenants have become amiliar with theevacuation procedures consider varying the re drillscenario to heighten interest and develop decision-

making skills. o prepare building occupants or morerealistic conditions, you may choose to designate aspecic location or the re and establish a scenariothat would alter the basic re drill procedures. A rescenario can prepare building occupants or more real-istic conditions requiring tenants to make decisions inresponse to lighting ailure or exit stairwells blockedby smoke.

Critiquing Fire Drills

Fire drills are an excellent method o testing theevacuation procedures set orth in the EOP.

Keep a logbook o drills and record any special situ-ations or problems. It is also suggested that you alsokeep records o any tenants who choose not to partici-pate in re drills.

Notifcation o Residential Tenants

Even though residents o high rise buildings are notrequired to participate in drills, it is recommendedthat you notiy them when the audible alarms will besounded or the re drill. Invite residents to partici-pate in the drill. Fire drills provide residents with anopportunity to practice their home escape plan andlearn more about the re and lie saety systems.

Fire Drill Apathy and Lack o Participation

Te best tactic in gaining cooperation in drills is toexplain the advantages o participation and obtainull participation rom the organizations leadership.Establishing clear expectations rom the top will cre-ate a corporate environment that promotes lie saety.Under real re conditions evacuation can be consider-ably more complicated. Fire drills are opportunities tone-tune the recommended procedures and test newideas.


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Inorm employers that liability or their employeesincreases i they do not allow or encourage participa-tion. I a re occurred and an employee was injured orkilled, it is possible the employer may ace legal issuesdue to their lack o support or re saety and drills.

Another idea to increase participation could be toprovide incentives (candy, coee, cookies) to partici-pants at their designated meeting place. Tese treatscan take the place o awards or successully evacuat-ing their oor and taking re saety seriously.

Full Building Evacuation Drills

Since the attacks on the World rade Center, manyproperty managers are coordinating ull buildingevacuation drills to provide building sta and ten-ants the opportunity to practice this difcult and timeconsuming process. Te key to a successul evacuationis preparation. Stamustfullyunderstandtheirresponsi-

bilities. Sta coordination will be extremelyimportant in the event o a ull buildingevacuation. I necessary, position building stain areas where the evacuation may slow down.

FloorWardensandothertenantsmustbeprepared or the experience o a ull buildingevacuation. Provide training opportunities orbuilding occupants to prepare them or theexperience.

Evaluate the evacuation thoroughly in order to im-prove upon the written procedures and better preparebuilding sta or uture drills. ake the time to talkwith building sta and tenants about their experience.Document these concerns and address serious prob-lems as soon as possible.

Training Tools

InformationBulletinsthatexplaindierentaspects o Bellevue Fire Code requirements orhigh rise buildings.

Teachingguidesdevelopedtoassistintrainingopportunities.

Handoutmasterstobecopiedanddistributedto occupants within your building.

For Additional Inormation:Bellevue Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division,425-452-6872www.bellevuewa.gov/redepartment.htm

National Fire Protection Associationwww.npa.org

United States Fire Administrationwww.usa.dhs.gov


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Emergencies Due to Human ActivityEmergencies arising rom human activity can includesituations instigated with criminal intent, humanerror, or industrial accidents. Criminal acts such asbomb threats have historically been one o the mostcommon types o threats. However, recent publicconcern has also ocused on threats associated withbiological and chemical agents and potential terroristactivity. Tis section provides inormation relevant toemergencies due to human activity and some generalinormation helpul or those responsible or develop-ing emergency preparedness procedures.

Work Place ViolenceTe circumstances o workplace violence vary and mayinclude robbery-associated violence and retaliatoryviolence committed by disgruntled clients, custom-ers, coworkers, employees, vendors, contractors andemployers. Violence also enters the work environmentthrough crimes associated with domestic violence andthe deliberate violation o court orders. A plannedresponse to incidents o violence in the workplaceshould be a part o every buildings emergency proce-

dures. Whether these incidents are random or relatedto situations o domestic violence, appropriate com-munications related to response and sae resolutionare necessary to protect the intended target and therest o the ofce rom urther disruption.Security personnel, receptionists, complaint depart-ment personnel or other employees who are in aposition where they may have to deal with violent orpotentially violent people should be given training

on conict resolution and workplace violence. Severalcommunity colleges oer this type o training. Securi-ty measures designed to protect sta that may be vul-nerable could be considered as a means o preventingor minimizing the impact o threats and occurrences.You should always employ the highest practical levelo physical security in your workplace. However, therewill always be the possibility or a violent incident tooccur. Te ollowing steps are oered as guidelines or

internal emergency response to workplace violence:Contact local law enorcement by calling 911 and ol-low their instructions: Notifyyourprivatesecurityforce,ifyouhave

one. Movepeopleawayfromthesceneasquickly

as possible. Securetheareaifpossibletopreservethe

crime scene or later investigation.

Mostimportantly,STAYCALM.

Domestic ViolenceEmployees should be strongly encouraged to immedi-ately bring to the attention o supervisors and manag-ers any issue that has the potential to create violencein the workplace. Any orm o violence or threat oviolence, whether actual or reasonably perceived,

which involves an employee at work, or occurs in theworkplace, must be reported to a supervisor, manager,orarepresentativefromHumanResources.Suchbe-havior should be reported whether another employee,a amily member, a contractor, a customer, or a mem-ber o the public commits it.Tis includes, but is not limited to, Court imposedorders such as No Contact Orders; Anti-HarassmentOrders;RestrainingOrders;andProtectionOrders

Inormation voluntarily provided by an employeeto the employer should be thoroughly sanitized toprotect the privacy o the threatened party. A processshould be developed to efciently and eectively dis-seminate the inormation to ront line sta that willbe most likely to encounter the restrained or threaten-ingparty(theRespondenttotheCourtOrder).isinormation should be posted in a readily available sitethat is updated and purged as necessary.


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Sta should also be trained on how to respond andreport incidents where respondents o Court Ordersattempt to make contact or enter the workplace.

For Additional Inormation:

U.S. Department o Labor, Occupational Saety andHealth Administration, Saety &Health opics: Workplace Violence, http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLC/workplaceviolence/

Bellevue Police Department, Crime Prevention Unit(425) 452-6917National Institute o Health, Managing WorkplaceViolence, http://civil.nih.gov/whatis.html

Emergencies Cede to Human Activity

Civil DisturbanceIn the event o a civil disturbance, whether randomor planned, procedures should be established andreviewed regularly with all property management andsecurity sta. At a minimum, procedures should coverthe ollowing points:

Closing -Reviewemergencyclosingprocedureswith all employees. Tey should clearly understandthe circumstances under which the building shouldbe closed and their own specic responsibilities in anemergency closing. Te Bellevue Police Departmentdoes not advocate automatic closure o businessesunless circumstances place building occupants at risk.Te best way to restore order is to maintain activitiesas close to normal as practical. It is the goal o theBellevue Police Department to assist property manag-

ers in their eorts to continue operating at customarylevels o saety.

Communication - Establish a communication treewithin your building and with neighboring buildings.I possible develop plans or mutual assistance.

Exit Procedures Incorporate best practices into acoordinated egress procedure. I Civil Disturbancesnecessitate a closure o acilities it may be impracticalor tenants to exit in their normal manner. Civil Dis-turbances oten take on the orm o human barricadessit-downs and other disruptions to normal pedestrian

and vehicular trafc.

Watch Your Perimeter

I you receive prior notice regarding an event with thepotential or civil unrest, inspect your perimeter, lookor re hazards, saety hazards, breaks in security, ormaterials that might be used to threaten security. Increasecriticalfacilitiesandsecuritystang

to improve your response to disruptive activity.

Remindstaandtenantstomaintaincontinu-ity o security by diligently adhering to secu-rity and access control procedures. Beware otail-gaters, propped open doors, unscheduledvendors/contractors and unusual deliveries andpackages.

Remindstaandtenantsofproperreportingprocedures or suspicious activity and emer-

gencies.

Removetrash,pallets,andanythingelsethatmight break windows, cause personal injury,or start res around the building. Lock trashcontainers and recycle bins and secure them tostationary objects.

Chainnewspaperboxesandotherdelivery

boxes to stationary objects. I there are more

than one at a single location, chain them to-gether.


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Ifthereareglasswindowsatstreetlevel,consider having 1/2-inch plywood on hand tocover them i they are broken. Alternatively,pre-arrange with a contractor to deliver andinstall glass or protective covers on short no-tice. Consider using security lm and interior

saety curtains to reduce the chance o break-age and to protect people rom ying glass.Keep duct tape on hand or temporary repairso minor cracks. Make sure window rames arestrong enough to hold windows in place understress.

Lightboththeinteriorandexteriorofthe

building. Check lights regularly. o the extentpossible, arrange parking so that vehicles are

enced in away rom the street and away romthe building.

When Emergencies Strike

Emergencies sometimes strike with little or no warn-ing. When they do, saety is your rst consideration.At the rst sign o danger, move customers, guests,and employees away rom all doors and windows atstreet level. Ten lock all doors and leave lights on in-side and outside. Call 911 and ask or assistance. Ten

contact responsible o-site managers and inormthem o the situation. I it is sae to do so, removeproduct displays rom windows and store them in asecure locked room.

Saety First

Except or res, people in hotels, motels, and o-ce buildings are oten saer inside than they wouldbe outside. Consider a protect in place approach

rather than automatically evacuating the building.When you judge that it is sae to leave the building,people should leave in groups, using exits away romareas where crowds have gathered or where there is adisturbance. Advise occupants to walk quickly, con-dently, and directly to the parking lot or bus stop.

Suspicious Package/DeviceBuilding owners should review mail-handling pro-cedures. Personnel that work in a mail room and/orpersonnel that accept and handle deliveries made bycourier and other delivery methods should receive

training on how to identiy and handle suspiciouspackages. Te extent o this training would corre-spond to the degree o risk related to the occupancyo the building (e.g. a commercial building containingoreign consulates would be at higher risk than a resi-dential building.) Te ollowing inormation shouldbe shared with occupants to assist them in identiyingand responding to suspicious envelopes and packages.

What Are the Characteristics o a

Suspicious Package? Excessive,inadequateormissingpostage;In-

appropriate air mail or special delivery stickers Postmarkcity/province/statedoesnotmatch

the return address; no return address. Handwrittenorpoorlytypedaddresses.Incor-

rect titles or no name; misspelling o commonwords.

Excessiveweight;excessivesecuritymaterialsuch as masking tape, string, etc.

RestrictivemarkingssuchasPersonal,Con-dential, or o Be Opened By .

Unprofessionalwrapping,threateningmark-ings on exterior o package.

Oilystains,discoloration,odor,protrudingwires or aluminum oil.

Leakinganymaterialwhetheritbeinpowder,granular, or liquid orm.


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I a package/device is suspect, occupants should leavethe package/device alone. Do not move the packageto another location. Leave the package where it is. Donot open, smell, examine, touch or taste any part othe delivery. Do not shake or bump it. reat the pack-age/device as suspect until otherwise proven.

I You Suspect a Package is Contaminatedwith a Chemical or Biological Agent

1. Contain in clear plastic bag or cover withother materials. Minimize physical contactwith other people. Wash your hands with soapand water.

2. Clear the immediate area where the package

was discovered.

3. List all people who may have been in contactor close proximity to the suspicious package/device and provide this list to appropriateauthorities.

4. Call 911 and notiy supervisory sta regarding

the location and description o the package.

5. Shut down the ventilation system servicing

the area where the package is located so as tonot spread potential contamination through-out the building.

I you have any reason to believe a letter or packageis suspicious, do not take a chance or worry aboutpossible embarrassment i the item turns out to beinnocent.

For Additional Inormation:U.S. Department o the reasury -Bureau o Alcohol,obacco and Fire Arms, Detect Suspicious Packages,http://www.at.gov/press/breakingnews/threat.htm

United States Postal Service, What Should I do i IReceiveanAnthraxreatbyMail?,http://www.usps.com/cpim/tp/pubs/pub166.pd

Bomb ThreatsBombing and the threat o being bombed are harshrealities in todays world. Bombs can be constructedto look like almost anything and can be placed ordelivered in any number o ways. Te probability o

nding a bomb that looks like the stereotypical bombis almost nonexistent. Te only common denominatorthat exists among bombs is that they are designed orintended to explode.

Trough proper preparation, you can reduce the ac-cessibility o your business or building and identiythose areas that can be hardened against a potentialbomber. Proper planning can also reduce the threato panic, the most contagious o all human emotions.

In the context o a bomb threat, panic is the ultimateachievement o the caller. I a bomb incident occurs,proper planning will instill condence in the leader-ship, reinorce the notion that those in charge docare, and reduce the potential or personal injury andproperty loss.

What Should Occupants Do i TheyReceive a Bomb Threat?

Occupants should have procedures to ollow in theevent they receive a bomb threat by telephone. In-struct all personnel, especially those at reception orworking a telephone switchboard, what to do i abomb threat call is received. Tese procedures shouldremind the receiver to document as much inormationas possible and to remain calm. Te caller is the bestsource o inormation about the bomb. Keep the callertalking as long as possible and ask them to repeatinormation as it is given. Write down what the callersays and any other inormation that seems notable.

Many organizations have created Bomb Treat check-lists that provide questions to ask and room to notecharacteristics about the callers voice and any back-ground noises.I a written threat is received all materials should besaved and unnecessary handling should be avoided.Tese materials may prove useul to investigatorswhen identiying the threat and the writer.


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Decision Time: Evacuate, Search, Ignore

Essentially, there are three alternatives when acedwith a bomb threat: ignore the threat, evacuate imme-diately or search and evacuate i warranted. Te mostserious o all decisions to be made by management inthe event o a bomb threat is whether to evacuate thebuilding. Calling 911 to report the situation to theBellevue Police Department will assist building man-agement and security sta with this decision process.Ignoring the threat completely can result in problems.While a statistical argument can be made that veryew bomb threats are real, it cannot be overlookedthat bombs have been located in connection withthreats. I employees learn that bomb threats havebeen received and ignored, it could result in moraleproblems and have a long-term adverse eect on yourbusiness.Evacuating immediately on every bomb threat is analternative that on ace value appears to be the pre-erred approach. Te obvious result o immediateevacuation is the disruptive eect on your business.I the bomb threat caller knows that your policy is toevacuate each time a call is made, he/she can continu-ally call and orce your business to a standstill.

Initiating a search ater a threat is received and evacu-ating a building ater a suspicious package or deviceis ound is the third, and perhaps most desired, ap-proach. It is certainly not as disruptive as an immedi-ate evacuation and will satisy the requirement to dosomething when a threat is received.Employees and sta should be responsible or quicklyand efciently searching their own personal workspaces since they are most amiliar with what belongs

in the area. Each individual employee and tenant isbest able to determine what is unusual and does notbelong in their work space.

I a device is ound, the evacuation can be accom-plished expeditiously while at the same time avoidingthe potential danger areas o the bomb. I the decisionis made to search the premises, the search must beas speedy and as thorough as possible. Eective andefcient search techniques should be developed and

made known to all relevant personnel.


U.S. Department o the reasury -Bureau o Alcohol,obacco and Fire Arms - Bomb Treats and PhysicalSecurity Planning, http://www.at.gov/press/break-ingnews/threat.htm

RiskManagementInformationLibrary,Bombreat

Resources,http://www.rmlibrary.com/sites/disbombt.htm

Weapons o MassDestructionIn the event o a weapons o mass destruction inci-dent, authorities will instruct you on the best course oaction. Te best way to protect the occupants o yourbuilding is to prepare or the possibility o an attack.Weapons o Mass Destruction (WMD) incidentsinclude accidental or intentional releases o chemi-cal, biological, or radiological agents such as the 1995Sarin subway attack in Japan and the anthrax releasesin 2001.

Chemical & Biological Weapons

Chemical warare agents are poisonous to people,animals, and plants. Tey can be released by bombs,

sprayed rom aircrat, boats, or vehicles, or used as aliquid to create a hazard to people and the environ-ment. While potentially lethal, chemical agents aredifcult to deliver in lethal concentrations. Outdoorsthe agents oten dissipate quickly.


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Biological agents are organisms that can kill or inca-pacitate people. Most biological agents are difcult togrow and maintain. Many break down quickly whenexposed to sunlight and other environmental actors,while others such as anthrax are very long lived. Teycan be dispersed by spraying them in the air or inect-

ing animals that carry the disease to humans as well asthrough ood and water contamination.

What Are the Warning Signs o aBiological/Chemical Attack?

Unusualdeadordyinganimalsinthearea

Unusualliquidspraysorvapors;low-lyingclouds or og unrelated to weather, clouds odust, suspended or colored particles; unex-plained odor

Multiplevictimsdisplayingsymptomsofnau-

sea, difculty breathing, convulsions, disorien-tation, or patterns o illness inconsistent withnatural disease.

Peopledressedunusually(long-sleevedshirtsor overcoats in the summertime) or wearingbreathing protection particularly where large

numbers o people tend to congregate, such assubways or stadiums.

Nuclear and Radiological Attack

errorist use o a radiological dispersion device ordirty bomb is considered ar more likely than use oa nuclear device. Tese weapons are a combinationo conventional explosives and radioactive materialdesigned to scatter radioactive materials over a general

area. Tese weapons appeal to terrorists because theyrequire very little technical knowledge to build anddeploy. errorist use o a radiological device wouldprobably be limited to a single smaller weapon. Tenature o the eects would be lethal but the area andseverity o the eects would be limited.

What Measures Should Be Taken i aWMD Release Has Occurred Within aBuilding?

All building occupants should know to contact theirimmediate Supervisor, Building Security and 911

to report all potential WMD releases. Emergencyresponse personnel will assume command o theincident upon arrival and may require additional stepsbe taken to isolate aected persons and the impactedareas. Until their arrival the ollowing steps will assistin your coordination o activities during and ater asuspected WMD release. Containandmaintaincontrolofthematerial

to minimize the impacted area and number

o individuals exposed by isolating impactedarea(s); e.g. shut door during exit. Do notallow any unprotected persons into the area.Shut down HVAC system (heating and venti-lation system) or impacted and adjacent areas

Containthepotentialimpactedindividual(s)

to ensure that they receive proper medicalattention. I material is released, impactedor potentially impacted individuals shouldmove rom the immediate area to an adjacentcontrol room. Minimize activities until appro-priate response personnel arrive. I absolutelynecessary, move impacted individuals intonearest bathroom acility on the oor.

Trytocontainexposedorpotentiallyexposed

people so that they can be helped by emer-gency proessionals on scene. ry to preventexposed people rom leaving the immediatearea. I they leave, they may urther spread

contaminates to vehicles, homes and hospitals.

Evacuatenon-impactedindividualsfromthearea as quickly as possible and wait urtherinstruction rom response team. I evacuationto the outside is not possible, move occupantsupward to an interior room on a higher oorsince many agents are heavier than air.


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For Additional Inormation:FEMAProducedBooklet,AreYouReady?,http://www.ema.gov/pd/areyouready/security.pd

eCouncilonForeignRelations,TerrorismQues-

tions and Answers, http://www.terrorismanswers.com/weapons/dirtybomb.html

PBS, NOVA Series: Dirty Bomb, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/dirtybomb/

Center or Disease Control, Biological Diseases andChemical Agents, http://www.bt.cdc.gov/Agent/agentlist.asp

Seattle/King County Public Health Department,BioterrorismResponseProtocol,http://www.metrokc.gov/health/bioterrorism

Hazardous MaterialAccidentsBuilding management will maintain a current inven-tory o hazardous materials used on-site includingcurrent Material Saety Data Sheets (MSDS) asrequired by the Workplace Hazardous Material Inor-mation System (WHMIS). Appropriate spill controland clean-up materials and equipment should bereadily available. Sta should be trained in spill clean-up procedures or minor events. Emergency phonenumbers or hazardous materials disposal companiesshould also be available.Te storage and use o hazardous materials, includingammable or combustible liquids may require a Bel-

levue Fire Department permit. Inormation regardingwhen a permit is required and how to apply or onemay be obtained by calling the Bellevue Fire Preven-tion Division at 425-452-6872. I a permit has alreadybeen issued, review and ensure compliance with theconditions attached to the permit.

I possible, managers should determine what hazard-ous materials might be present on neighboring prop-erties. A risk assessment o this exposure should alsobe carried out.

What Can Building Management Do i a

Hazardous Materials Accident Occurs?

Call911toreportthenatureandlocationofthe accident as soon as possible.

Keepbuildingoccupantsawayfromtheac-

cident scene. Donotwalkinto,touch,smellortasteanyof

the spilled substance. ry not to inhale gases,umes and smoke, i possible; cover mouthwith a cloth while leaving the area.

Trytostayawayfromaccidentvictimsuntil

the hazardous material has been identied. Trytostayupstream,uphillandupwindof

the accident with clear access to an evacuationroute.

Building owners and management should stress tooccupants that removal, analysis and decontamina-tion are the responsibilities o hazardous materialsemergency response proessionals who are trained andequipped to handle these types o situations. Te Bel-levue Fire Department may be able to assist with theinitial containment and decontamination o an emer-gency scene. However, it may be the responsibility obuilding owners or managers to arrange with privatecompanies that specialize in hazardous material han-

dling or the complete clean up and decontaminationo the site.


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For Additional Inormation:Department o ransportation, Hazmat Saety Web-site, http://hazmat.dot.gov/

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ofce o Pol-

lution Prevention & oxics, Publications or CitizensConcerned About Hazardous Materials, http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/pubcitizen.htm

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ofce o Pol-lution Prevention & oxics, Disposal o HouseholdandRetailHazardousMaterials,http://www.epa.gov/unix0008/news/news9697/nddispos.html

Medical EmergenciesEvery building runs the risk o acing a medical emer-gency. However, there are certain types o propertieswhere medical emergencies may be more common.Examples include properties that house senior citi-

zens, the disabled, large public gatherings, and indus-trial activity. Te Emergency Operations Plan shouldincorporate medical and rst aid procedures thatinclude: Emergencycontactphonenumbers Namesandphonenumbersofstamembers

with accredited training in liesaving tech-niques

OSHARequirementsAll tenant managers should understand the impor-tance o notiying building security or the propertymanagement ofce i 911 has been called. Withnotication, a parking area in ront o the buildingcan be held and an elevator can be made ready or theemergency medical personnel.Managers o buildings with large occupant loads mayconsiderprovidingCPRtrainingtostaandtenants,and purchasing automatic external debrillators andmedical oxygen in addition to basic rst aid equip-ment.

For Additional Inormation:U.S. Department o Labor Occupational Saety andHealth Administration, Saety and Health opics:Medical and First Aid, http://www.osha.gov/SLC/medicalrstaid/index.html

Washington State Department o Labor and Indus-tries, WISHA Policy and echnical Services: FirstAid, http://www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/p-ts_saety/rstaidhtm


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Emergencies Related to Natural DisastersEmergencies due to sudden and powerul naturalevents are capable o inicting considerable damageto property and placing many lives at risk. Te Puget

Sound region has a long history o natural disastersrom windstorms to earthquakes, rom oods tovolcanic activity. While this region has survived manytypes o naturally occurring disasters, this section willocus on two; earthquakes and severe storms, andevents related to these happenings.Combined with stories o disaster in the PacicNorthwest are lessons o survival and recovery. Teselessons orm the basis rom which the lessons o

preparedness taught by emergency managementproessionals come rom. Tis section will providemany ideas you can research to ormulate saety andrecovery procedures or the tenants o your building.Resourcesofparticularnotearelistedbelow: eFederalEmergencyManagementAgency

is an excellent source o inormation regardingnatural disasters and other hazards. Inorma-tion is available on their website at: http://

www.ema.gov/hazards/

WashingtonStateEmergencyManagementhas an emergency preparedness handbookwith inormation or Washington State. In-ormation is available on the City o Bellevueswebsite at: http://www.bellevuewa.gov/pd/Fire/Disaster_Prep_Handbook.pd

Earthquakesypically, each year there are over 1000 earthquakeswith magnitude 1.0 or greater in Washington andOregon. O these, approximately two dozen arelarge enough to be elt. Tese events oer us a subtlereminder that the Pacic Northwest is an earthquakeprone region.Te Nisqually Earthquake o 2001 was a not so subtlereminder o what type o inormation earthquake

preparedness plans should include:

Removingorreducinghazardsinthework-place.

Trainingopportunitiesforemployeesandten-ants to learn survival skills.

Assessmenttoolsforengineeringstatode-

termine whether a building should be evacu-ated ater the shaking stops.

Reduce the Hazards

All building tenants should be asked to report any

urniture or building xture they see as a potential riskduring an earthquake. Filing cabinets, bookshelvesand computer equipment can be strapped to the wallto prevent it rom alling on an employee during anearthquake. It may also be possible to move heavyitems rom high shelves to lower shelves or the samereasons.

Training

Instruct occupants that it is very dangerous to try toleave a building during an earthquake because objectscan all on occupants. Te decision to leave the build-ing during an earthquake is dangerous due to therisk o injury rom alling debris, collapsing walls andbroken glass. Building tenants should be instructed toseek cover under their desks or the duration o theshaking. Ifanemployeeisinsidewhentheshaking

starts they should stay inside and seek cover

under a desk or table to wait out the shaking. Ifanemployeeisoutsidewhentheshak-

ing starts they should stay outside away rombuildings, wires and poles that may all duringthe quake.

Ifanemployeehasjustleftabuildingthey

should go back inside to avoid being hit byany alling debris, glass, brick, signage, rom

the structures nearby.


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Ater the shaking has stopped, employees should takea moment to check or injuries to themselves andothers. Only call 911 i someone is trapped or has liethreatening injuries.

Evacuate or Not?

Te decision to evacuate the building or not shoulddepend upon the severity o damage to the building.Most high rises have been constructed to withstandthe shaking, making them a relatively sae place to beduring an earthquake. Older buildings may sustaindamage to walls, stairwells and acades. I necessarybuilding management can acilitate an evacuationonce the shaking has stopped. Occupants should beevacuated using the stairs and moved quickly awayrom the building to prevent injury rom alling de-bris, downed power lines and other hazards.


Institute or Business and Home Saety, Protect Your-sel: Earthquakes, http://www.ibhs.org/natural_disas-ters/earthquake.asp?id=3

Severe StormsTunderstorms, hail, snow storms, high winds, andheavy rain can develop quickly and hit hard, pos-ing a threat to lie, property, and business continuity.Some problems cannot be prevented. High winds cantopple trees and heavy rains can cause rivers to ood.But some damage can be avoided or at least reducedi precautionary measures are taken, such as knowingthe type o storms common to your area and whattime o year they are likely to strike.

How Will Building Management Know i aSevere Storm is Approaching?

Te weather service, the governor or other govern-ment ofcial can activate the emergency-alert systemto inorm the public quickly about a lie-threateningevent.RegionalEmergencyInformationcanbeheardonKIROradio710AMtheprimarystationfortheemergency alert system on the N.O.A.A. WeatherRadiosystem(emergencyalerts).

Emergency inormation should always be communi-cated to tenants as soon as possible. Property manage-ment sta should understand their responsibilities tomake this happen in a calm and appropriate manner.

Electrical Power Failures

During and ater a storm backup generators and ade-quate uel supplies may be very helpul in maintainingessential building services (e.g., lighting, heating). Inbuildings equipped with an emergency power genera-tor, the equipment is tested and maintained in accor-dance with the Bellevue Fire Code. Pre-arrangementsshould be made to ensure additional uel suppliescould be made available upon demand, in situationswhere the power ailure is or an extended period otime.I your power goes out, check your electrical panelor a blown use or an open breaker. Call the PugetSound Energy hotline at 1-888-225-5773 or arecording o all known outages. I your area is notmentioned, leave a message including your name,address, phone number and describe any unusualcircumstances that could help identiy the problem.Meanwhile, unplug small appliances. Do not call 911to report a power outage.

Landslides

Landslides are a common problem and increasingdensity has increased exposure. Many actors con-tribute to slides, including geology, gravity, weather,groundwater, wave action, and human actions. ypi-cally, a landslide occurs when several o these actorsconverge. Tey are oten triggered by ground waterpressure so they tend to occur during wet winters

ollowing a heavy storm. Landslide and mudowsusually strike without warning. Te orce o rocks, soilor other debris moving down a slope can devastateanything in its path.

Landslides may aect your business by impedingmajor transportation routes, disrupting utility serviceand damaging property or businesses your tenants relyupon.


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Flooding

Building management should assess the threat oooding to their building. Usually this is easily ac-complished due to a history o similar earlier events.Many insurance companies also have inormation onthe potential or ooding in specied areas.Where ooding is a potential risk, building manage-ment may wish to consider the ollowing: Providingpumps,generators,sandbags,etc.,

or temporary ood relie.

Movinghazardousmaterialsstoredatorbe-low grade to a sae location.

Protectionofdrinkingwatersources.

Electricalhazardsthatmaybecreatedduetothe presence o water (to both permanent andtemporary wiring).

Retainingalistofqualiedpersonnelandcontractors who can be contacted to assess andrepair ood damage.

Purchasingoodinsurance.


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Appendicesin accordance with established plans during an emer-gency. During disasters or widespread emergencies,assistance rom external resources may be severely

limited or unavailable. It may help to identiy externalresources that may be called upon during an emer-gency. Tese could include:

Police DepartmentSocial Service AgenciesFire Department

HazardousMaterialsRespondersEmergency Medical Servicesransportation Services

City Emergency ManagementUtilities

Step 3 - Develop the Procedures

Develop the emergency procedures using the mostup-to-date inormation. Drawings, tenant inorma-tion, contacts, etc. need to be current and accurate tobe useul.

Reviewexistingemergencyprocedures.Inmanyin-stances they contain valuable practices and strategiesor responding to, and dealing with various risks andthreats. Tese could include: re saety plan, currentbuilding oor plans, health and saety program, secu-rity procedures, shut-down procedures, or hazardousmaterials containment plans.Identiy applicable ederal, provincial and communityregulations and by-laws such as OSHA/WISHAregulations or the Bellevue Fire Code.Identiy internal and external resources and capabili-ties that could be utilized in an emergency:

Personnel - security, emergency management group,re wardens or oor wardens, hazardous materialsresponse team (where applicable), rst-aid providers.

Appendix A: DevelopingEmergency ManagementProceduresEvery building has specic and unique emergencyplanning needs. Tese needs are determined basedupon occupancy type, hazards based upon tenant mix,sophistication o the re and lie saety system andproperty management stafng. It is the responsibilityo the building owner to make certain that the planmeets the needs o the building and the requirements

o the Bellevue Fire Code.

Step 1 - Establish an Emergency Manage-ment Team

Emergency management procedures are best devel-oped with input rom the various aected parties,analyzing risks and response capabilities, drating andreviewing the plan, and implementing and reningthe plan based on eedback and experience.

Te property manager or an appointed designeeshould take the responsibility or organizing anemergency management team and developing pro-cedures in cooperation with tenant representatives. Itis benecial to obtain input rom building engineers,security ofcers and tenants. In multi-tenanted build-ings many more parties will have to be involved.

Step 2 -Analyze Risks and Hazards

Te risks and hazards must be identied as well asthe response capabilities that are available. Once theinormation has been gathered, a vulnerability analy-sis can be conducted to identiy gaps in the acilityscapabilities or handling emergencies.Te existence o external resources does not relievebuilding owners, property managers and occupantso their responsibility to provide or their own saety


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Equipment - communications, warning systems,security, emergency power equipment, containmentequipment, rst aid supplies, re protection, re sup-pression.

Building Systems - emergency eatures that can be

operated rom remote locations during an emergencysuch as HVAC, smoke control, communication, warn-ing and security systems.

Facilities - evacuation routes, temporary shelter areas,rst-aid stations, decontamination acilities.

Organizational capabilities - training, evacuationplan, employee or occupant support system, inter-nal backup systems or communications, emergency

power, recovery and support.Beore nalizing the plan, it is important or build-ing management to consult with the local emer-gency response agencies (police, re department, cityemergency preparedness manager) to ensure that theprocedures are well coordinated and integrated withlocal practices.

Step 4 -Test the Procedures

esting the procedures will involve training, practiceexercises and evaluation. In single tenant acilities, theplan should become part o the corporate policies andbe managed eectively. In multi-tenant acilities, theplan must be adopted by each tenant and be inte-grated into the workplace procedures or occupants toollow during an emergency incident. Key personnelin each tenant space may require special training orinstruction to ensure they can conduct the assignedduties. Practice drills can be conducted to

determine i the procedures and the desired commu-nications are eective.Once the procedures have been developed, occu-pant and tenant inormation must be distributedto increase awareness o the emergency procedures.Initially, occupants can be provided with printed in-structions in a variety o ormats including brochures,newsletters, workplace policies, workplace procedures,

etc. Other methods can be used to inorm and trainthe building occupants. Tese may include: Oeringperiodicinformationandawareness

presentations.

Providingdirecttrainingandinstructiontoindividuals who are assigned specic tasks.

Producinganddistributingdemonstrationorinstructional videos.

Distributionofspecicprocedurestoeachemployee and occupant/tenant.

Participationinevacuationdrillsintendedto

improve awareness o the egress eatures pro-vided in the building.Drills and exercises can be conducted in a number oways. Te exercise can be used to provide additionaltraining or designated individuals by allowing themto become more amiliar with the use o the build-ings saety eatures and communications protocol.For example, designated individuals responsible orcommunications should practice using the communi-cation equipment and other equipment where appli-cable based upon the scenario to gain experience andcondence.In addition to conducting ull-scale drills or exercises,smaller independent exercises can be conducted atdierent times involving designated departmentsor specied areas o the building on dierent shits.During these independent exercises, tenant manag-ers, department heads, supervisors or other designatedpersons monitor the emergency response o employees

in a specic area to a simulated or described emer-gency scenario. Employees respond to a simulation inaccordance with their emergency procedures. Tesesmaller independent drills and exercises provide anopportunity or assessing the adequacy o employeeemergency preparedness on all shits, in individualtenancies, departments or area-specic emergencyprocedures.


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Te requency and nature o drills and exercisesshould be determined based upon code requirements,potential risks, and training needs. Te purpose oconducting drills and exercises is to: Assesstheongoingeectivenessofthefacil-

itys emergency procedures given dierentscenarios and make corrections where neces-sary.

Determinethatstamembersaretrainedand

able to respond as outlined in the emergencyprocedures.

Ensurethatthebuildingoccupantsunder-stand how to react in accordance with the

buildings emergency response and evacuationprocedures. Provideanopportunityforemergencyre-

sponse training and practice.

Step 5 - Evaluate and Modiy theProcedures

At least once a year, each drill or exercise must beevaluated and documented with recommendations or

improvements by designated individuals who thor-oughly understand the acilitys emergency proceduresand expected response by designated individuals andoccupants. It is very important that all personnel withspecic responsibilities attend a debrieng meetingollowing every drill. Tis meeting is held to reviewthe procedures and reactions o all drill participants.During the debrieng, problem areas can be identiedand, i necessary, solutions to overcome any decien-cies implementing the buildings emergency manage-

ment procedures can be discussed and corrected.Te creation o emergency management proceduresis not a one-time activity. Te document must beregularly reviewed and updated to reect any changesto the acility or operations. One o the major short-alls o most procedures is that the oor plans, ten-ant inormation, contacts, etc. are allowed to becomeinaccurate as a result o changes that invariably occurover time.


U.S.DepartmentofLaborOccupationalHealthand Saety Administration, EvacuationPlans and Procedures eool, http://www.osha.gov/SLC/etools/evacuation/index.html

Appendices

Appendix B: PropertyVulnerability AssessmentAlthough emergencies could happen anywhere and atanytime, some emergencies are more likely to occurthan others. While developing an emergency plan theollowing ve actors should be assessed to ensure that

risks specic to your building are appropriately ad-dressed.

1. Geographic Location

Certain regions o the country are more proneto certain types o emergencies, particularlythose relating to natural disasters. Fortunatelyor Bellevue, tornadoes and hurricanes occurless requently here than in other geographic

locations. However, severe winter storms andearthquakes that may result in ooding orstructural damage occur on a regular basis.As such, the property manager must evaluatethe likelihood o these events aecting thebuilding and surrounding area in order to planaccordingly or those types o emergencies.

2. Immediate Environment

Te neighborhood or community where yourproperty is situated will inuence the type oemergencies it may ace. Buildings located inmajor urban areas ace unique risks that areless likely to be ound in rural areas. For exam-ple, riots and public demonstrations are morelikely to occur in urban areas and may resultin property damage and personal assaults.Similarly, buildings located in close proximityto major transportation routes or industrial


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properties, such as nuclear power plants orhazardous petroleum/chemical plants, wouldbe vulnerable i a major accident were to occurthere. Tereore, the emergency plan shouldaddress potential emergencies that may occuras a result o an accidental leak or spill.

3. Property Type

Te purpose or which the building is used hasa direct bearing on the type o risks inherenttoit.Residentialtowers,ocetowers,indus-trial plants, hospitals, theatres, and shoppingmalls all require their own unique emergencyplans to address their particular situations andneeds. All oer dierent challenges based on

varying actors specic to their occupancy. Tenumber o hours per day it is occupied, oc-cupant load, building height, security levels,building contents, presence o hazardous prod-ucts, and nature o activities are all examples ovarying actors that must be taken into consid-eration when developing the emergency plan.

4. Tenant Mix or Resident Proile

It is important to realize that building occu-pants inuence the emergency plan as much asthe building type. Not all residential buildingsare alike, nor are all commercial, industrial andinstitutional properties alike. Your emergencyplan should take into account the varioustenant proles within the property to addresstheir specic needs and risks.

Buildings that are occupied by politicallysensitive organizations such as government o-

ces, military establishments, religious organi-zations, embassies, cultural centers or abortionclinics have an increased likelihood o becom-ing a target o extremist groups. As such, theemergency plan should specically addressthreats o violence, hostage situations or otheremergencies.

5. Size and Construction

Te size o the building with respect to heightand area oten determines the complexity othe emergency plan. Obviously, an ofce towerwill require a more complex emergency plan

than a single story commercial plaza. Whetherthe building is sprinklered or not will inu-ence the Emergency Operations Plan, orexample, by making it more or less viable toremain in the building in the event o a re.Te buildings construction may also be criti-cal in determining how well it will withstand anatural or human activity related disaster.


FactoryMutualGlobal,WhatisRiskManagement?,http://www.mglobal.com/library/rmStrategies.html

Hartord Insurance Small Business Center, Why YouNeedaDisasterRecoveryPlan,http://sb.thehartford.com/reduce_risk/disaster_recovery.asp

Appendix C: Business

Continuity PlanningPart o the emergency planning or any organizationshould include ensuring the ability o the organizationto continue to unction with a minimum o disruptionater a disaster. In the context o business continuityplanning, a disaster is any event that could cause a pe-riod o total or partial interruption to normal businessoperations. Tis could be a re or explosion or couldbe a much less dramatic event such as loss o power ortelephone service.In addition to the direct costs resulting rom an in-cident, such as damage to the building or equipment,there are also many indirect costs. Tese could includeloss o important data or business records, negativemedia coverage, loss o market share, dissatised cus-tomers or clients or legal action by regulatory agen-cies. Insurance may partially compensate or some o


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the direct costs, but it will never cover all o the coststo an organization. It may also take many months oreven years beore an insurance claim is settled.Although developing a business continuity plan doesrequire some expenditure o time and nancial re-

sources, this expenditure should be looked at as aninvestment. In the long term, an eective continuityplan can save an organization a great deal o moneyand stress.Te rst step in developing a continuity plan is to as-sess the various risks to which the organization mightbe exposed. Ater determining what risks need to beconsidered, each risk must be evaluated to determinethe probability that it will occur and what impact it

would have on the organization. Te probability o oc-currence and the impact can be assigned point valuesor a more general rating o high, medium and low.Tis will allow management to determine how manyresources should be expended in guarding against thevarious risks.Management then needs to develop strategies or ad-dressing each o the risks. Te rst goal is to preventthe risk rom occurring. Since not all risks can beprevented with 100% certainty, the second goal is tominimize the impact on the organization i the eventdoes occur. At all times the saety and protection oemployees must be the primary consideration.

Te continuity plan must be in writing and everyperson who could be expected to exercise any part othe plan should have a copy. Te plan should includephone numbers where critical people can be reached24 hrs a day. Te building owner, property manager,building engineer, etc. may not be available at the time

an incident occurs and someone else may have to startexercising the plan.

For Additional Inormation:Federal Emergency Management Agency, EmergencyManagement Guide or Business and Industry, http://www.ema.gov/pd/library/bizindst.pd

Institute or Business & Home Saety, Getting Back

to Business, http://www.ibhs.org/docs/GBB.pd


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City of Bellevue Fire Department

Fire Prevention Division

www.bellevuewa.gov

425-452-6872

Documents

High Rise Handbook_ Fire Emergency