Shelter-In-Place vs Evacuation

Provided by City of Dallas OEM

Module 1: Shelter-In-Place

Provided by City of Dallas OEM

Introduction

3

Who is participating in the exercise?

What are your roles? (Introduce yourselves)

This is an low-stress, no-fault, learning environment.

Varying viewpoints, even disagreements, are expected.

Keep in mind that the goal is to improve plans.

4

Sheltering-In-Place Sheltering in place is a technique/precaution that emergency

services and public safety personnel recommend for many emergency scenarios. It is designed for situations in which it is safer for people to remain inside rather than to evacuate.

Instructions to Shelter in Place are usually implemented for

events that have a relatively short duration (hours, not days or weeks).

Exercise Overview The purpose of this exercise is to provide you with an opportunity to

practice and evaluate, response concepts, plans, and procedures for a strategic-level response to shelter in place or evacuate during an event.

You will be presented with a scenario and given a chance to respond.

Try not get caught up on small details. Go with the information given and stay focused on the big picture.

Scenario It is 10:00 am on a Tuesday. Your morning starts off like any other

normal day at the office- you’re at your desk working, when all of a sudden your security officer notifies you that there is a tornado approaching your building and that everyone must seek shelter immediately.

6

Your Response What are your immediate actions?

Who’s in charge?

Do you have a sheltering plan? What is it?

Who will notify everyone in the building to seek shelter?

How will everyone be notified in the building?

7

Scenario update 1 A fully-formed tornado is on the ground southwest of your

building and estimated to reach arrive within the next 10 minutes. Everyone in the building has been notified to seek shelter.

8

Your Response How would you make sure that everyone has left their desks or

work areas and taken shelter?

How would you keep track of your employees?

If the building took a direct hit, would you have an accurate list of everyone you are responsible for in the building?

Where can that information be found?

9

10

Scenario update 2 The tornado narrowly missed your building, but you have lost

power.

11

Your Response How would you make sure everyone was accounted for?

What steps would you take to restore business to normal?

Who would be in charge of recovery actions?

12

Wrap-Up Do you feel you are well-prepared to face this type of event?

Did you learn about any plans/capabilities that are in place?

Did this exercise make you aware of any issues that need to be addressed? Like what?

Do you need to update/revise/write any plans based on what you learned?

Module: 2 Building Evacuation Provided by City of Dallas OEM

14

Evacuation The immediate and urgent movement of

people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard.

Examples can range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a fire to the large scale evacuation of a geographic area because of a flood, hazardous materials spill, or bomb threat.

15

Scenario It is 2:00 PM on a normal Thursday afternoon. You’re at your desk working when suddenly the fire alarm goes

off.

16

Your Response What are your (each person/department’s) immediate actions? Who's in charge? Do people need additional instructions to evacuate? How is this communicated? Who will call 911 (if necessary)? How will you evacuate? Where will you evacuate to? Are there any employees with mobility issues that could affect

their ability to self-evacuate? How are these handled?

17

Scenario update 1 It is 2:15 PM The sprinkler system has been activated. Fire and EMS have been notified but have not yet arrived. Smoke is no sign of smoke. Employees are asking to return.

18

Your Response How will you make sure all of the employees got out of the

building? Who is responsible for this? Where is your rally point? Do most people know where it is? What is your policy on re-entry after a fire alarm? Based on that, would people be let back in?

19

Scenario update 2 2:40PM Firefighters have gained access to your building and found a

fire after all. It has been extinguished. There has been extensive damage to some of the office space

in the building.

20

Recovery Who is in charge of recovery actions?

What are your first objectives?

How will work continue in the mean time? Where?

– Alternate location?– Work from home?– Some combination?– Other?

21

Wrap-Up Do you feel you are well-prepared to face this type of event?

Did you learn about any plans/capabilities that are in place?

Did this exercise make you aware of any issues that need to be addressed? Like what?

Do you need to update/revise/write any plans based on what you learned?