Emergency Procedures

 Robbery | Earthquake | Fire | Active Shooter

(R.E.F.A.S) 

It S.A.F.E.R. if you read it backward. Creating an emergency plan will greatly help you if any of these situations arise. Conducting a quarterly emergency drill and going over your plans will likely reduce the number of injuries or fatalities in your company, your team will be a lot safer.

Emergency Evacuation Plans and Re-Entry

In any emergency, staff should always follow alarms or alerts to evacuate the building and/or area near the premises. Always follow the basic evacuation procedures but remember that personal safety is paramount and takes precedence:

•  Check work area for anything needing to be secured and store it quickly;

• Secure locks on all secured containers and cabinets; and

• Leave your work area and report to your designated assembly area

The General Manager/MOD will coordinate with Fire, Police, and other emergency preparedness personnel to determine when the building may be re-entered.

Robbery

During a robbery remember that your safety is your top priority. Call 911 – unless doing so will put you or anyone in the facility at greater risk.

Staff should follow the robbery protocol:

• Do not engage with the subject or make overt actions

• Be cooperative. Do not threaten or intimidate.

• Comply with any demands as much as possible

• Do not speak to the subject unless spoken to

• Stay calm

• Avoid taking any actions that could impact the safety of others

• Do not draw undue attention to yourself with sudden body movements

When possible, keep other staff, and guest(s) away from the incident. Do not attempt to pursue, follow, or apprehend the subject(s). Doing so could cause serious injury to you or others.

Be observant. Make mental note of descriptive characteristics that could that could be used later. After the incident, write down everything you remember.

• Gender

• Approximate age

• Skin, hair and eye color

• Height and weight

• Clothing, shoe type and color

• Voice characteristics (i.e. accent, high or low pitch, raspy)

• Any other distinguishing characteristics (i.e. tattoo, scars)

• Any other observations – remember, what may seem insignificant to you may be extremely important to the trained authorities that will be gathering information.

Earthquake

In the event of an earthquake:

During the shaking, DROP – COVER – HOLD. Protect yourself by dropping to the floor and taking cover under a desk, sturdy table or other piece of furniture. Hold on to whatever you are under. If taking cover under a sturdy piece of furniture is not possible, get into a corner and, facing out, bring your knees and hands up to protect yourself. Stay away (and face away) from windows (do not stand in a doorway because you are more exposed to flying debris). Stay away from anything that can shatter or fall on you (light fixtures, shelves, etc.). If possible, predetermine a safe location in which to take cover, prior to an earthquake.

• Do not leave cover until the shaking has completely stopped.

• After a major shock, management will direct you when and where to invacuate (a relocation to another internal portion of the building) (normally to the lowest safe floor in the office building). REMEMBER, additional shocks or tremors may occur.

• If required to evacuate, proceed to the designated assembly area outside as directed by a Manager on Duty. If you require assistance to evacuate, proceed to the designated Area of Refuge/meeting place and wait for assistance from emergency personnel.

• If fire occurs, activate the nearest fire alarm pull station as the system may still be functional. Follow the office building’s fire and evacuation procedures.

• If you are forced out of the building by a fire or other hazardous event, remain calm. Do not run outdoors. Watch for falling debris and electrical wires when leaving the building.

• Do not leave anyone behind. Report any missing persons to management as they will relay information to the first responder.

• Telephones are to be reserved for emergency use only.

Fire

If you detect a fire or smell smoke in the facility, notify a member of the management immediately. As instructed by the MOD, direct guests, staff and vendors out of the nearest emergency exit. Use of fire extinguisher is on a voluntary basis only. Your first priority is your safety and the evacuation of our staff and guests. Do not attempt to put out the fire if you are unfamiliar with using fire extinguisher.

Before an attempt is made to extinguish the fire using a fire extinguisher:

• Ensure that a means of escape is available and that the fire is not between you and your escape route

• Determine whether you will be able to put out the fire using a fire extinguisher

• Determine if the fire extinguisher is the right type to control the fire. Refer to the instructions on the fire extinguisher for its uses

• Follow the P.A.S.S. (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Shoot) method when using the fire extinguisher:

1.  Pull the pin

2.  Aim at the base of the fire

3.  Squeeze the handle

4.  Sweep from side to side

A member of the management should immediately respond to the FIRE once notified.

Management should make the determination to evacuate the facility based on the variables of the incident. The following variables are included but are not all-inclusive:

• Size of the fire

• Amount of smoke generated

• Sprinkler system activation

• Local Fire Department recommendations

• Means of escape available

• Ability to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher

If management decides to evacuate the facility, a member of the facility should:

• Notify at least one member of the Executive team: Director of Operation | Vice President of Operation | COO | CEO

• Sound the nearest fire alarm and call 911

• Implement the facility evacuation plan

• Conduct a head count to account for all staff

Once law enforcement, fire/emergency services releases the facility, management should:

• Make an “all clear” announcement to staff to re-enter the facility

• Notify the Executive team of the re-entry

Active Shooter

During an active threat/active shooter/attacker incident where a subject is causing injury to one or more people with a gun or other weapon. Your immediate actions should focus on maximizing your personal safety until law enforcement is able to stop the threat. Guest and staff are likely to follow the lead of a manager during an active shooter/attacker incident.

What you do matters!

You should use Avoid, Deny, Defend:

AVOID - starts with your state of mind.

• Pay attention to your surroundings and understand your environment; this will allow you to react quickly should an active shooter incident occur

• Be aware of the locations of doorways, stairs, and windows; know how to reach them and where they lead. This will assist you in developing an exit plan

• Move away from the source of the threat as quickly as possible

• The more distance and barriers between you and the threat the better

DENY - when avoiding the threat is difficult or maybe even impossible.

• Look for ways to keep as much distance as possible between you and the source of the threat

• Create barriers by closing and locking doors to prevent or slow down the source of the threat from getting to you

• Turn the lights off if possible

• Try to remain out of sight by hiding behind large objects

• Be quiet, silence your phone or other items that make noise

DEFEND - because you have the right to protect yourself if someone is trying to harm you.

• If you cannot avoid the threat or deny access to your location, you must be prepared to defend yourself

• You must be aggressive and committed to your actions

• One or more people committed to protecting themselves can help mitigate a threat

• If there is no other alternative, taking the risk of personal harm to defend yourself might be your best alternative

Call 911 when you are in a safe area. Inform law enforcement or 911 operator that this is an active shooter/attacker incident. This is important to relay this information as it changes the response of the law enforcement.

The following information should be provided to the 911 operator:

• Location of the attacker(s)

• Number of attackers, if more than one

• Physical description and type of weapons

• Number of potential victims at the location

When law enforcement arrives (hopefully) show your hands and follow commands. Law enforcement will initially focus on stopping any active threats and will need to quickly.

After any active threat:

• A member of the management team will work with first responders and coordinate responses

• Cooperate fully with authorities, provide assistance, if possible

• Do not touch anything else in the area (if possible)

• Efforts should be made to identify witnesses, collect and document information

• Document the incident:

1.     Include specifics, such as: who was injured, to what extent, what hospital they were taken to or released from.

2.     Include key action points if known (i.e. step by step description of the event as it unfolded)

 Create a list of Emergency Contact List for your team in case of any situation arise.

Emergency Contacts

Local/External Phone Numbers

• Fire Department | Police | Ambulance - 911

• Alarm Company

• Building Security

• Property Management

• Local Health Department

• Electric, Gas & Water Company

• Local Emergency Management

• Poison Control

Internal Company Phone Numbers

• Business Owners

• VP of Operation

• Director of Operation

• General Manager