MECKLENBURG COUNTY Community Support Services Men s Shelter SACOT Program 1210 North Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28206 Emergency Response Guide The Safety Committee prepared this Emergency Response Guide. This document was reviewed and approved by the Safety Committee on August 25, 2015. Discard previous versions. Purpose The purpose of this plan is to establish procedures for the systematic, safe and orderly evacuation of CSS staff at the building located at 1210 North Tryon Street in case of fire, bomb threat or other emergency. This facility provides office space for the Community Support Services Substance Abuse Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment Program (SACOT). There are four (4) CSS staff members in the building. Objectives A. The primary objective of this plan is to minimize and prevent injury and property damage. B. The secondary objective is to provide education as part of the continuing training program for all occupants, to assure the prompt reporting of a fire or bomb threat and the proper response to fire/bomb threat, and the immediate initiation of fire safety procedures to safeguard life and contain fire until the arrival of the fire department. This Emergency Response Guide will be placed into effect by designated emergency evacuation personnel upon activation of fire alarms or notification of any emergency condition. C. Annual training of all CSS staff within this facility is mandatory. The Safety Committee has oversight of training content and will coordinate with the Quality Improvement Coordinator to schedule training at orientation for new staff then annually via the online training system. Annual drills of this procedure will occur and will be coordinated by the Asset and Facility Management Health & Safety Liaison for CSS. Drills will be documented, reported to the Safety Committee, and analyzed for performance improvement. D. Tests of emergency procedures will be unannounced. E. If staff are injured in an emergency, their personal emergency numbers will be obtained by their supervisor accessing employee information from MyHR. Utility Failures If utilities such as power, water or the heat source for a building should fail, the Shelter Facilities Manager, Program Supervisor or designee will communicate with staff regarding actions to be taken. Your supervisor will inform you regarding evacuation requirements. Administrative Policy SAFE-03 Interruption of Utilities contains additional information regarding this topic as well as an explanation of requirements for critical and non-critical services staff and contact phone numbers. Men s Shelter Emergency Response Guide Page 1 of 5
Natural Disasters Natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and ice storms do threaten and sometimes occur in our region. In these situations, staff are expected to adhere to leadership s instructions. If in doubt regarding work status for the county, staff should access the 24 hour County Weather Line at 704-336-3636. Mecklenburg County Policies available on MeckWeb and SAFE-03 Interruption of Utilities on SharePoint contain additional location-specific information regarding this topic. Workplace Safety During Violent or Other Threatening Situations Violent situations can occur suddenly and include a variety of situations. Staff should remain as calm as possible and acquire assistance as soon as possible. All CSS Substance Abuse Services staff are required to complete non-violent crisis intervention training at hire and annually. This training is an essential part of the organization s procedures to de-escalate situations and deal with violence. Your supervisor will inform you regarding evacuation requirements that may include sheltering in place. Administrative Policies SAFE-02 Community Services Safety, CR-10 Consumer Violence and Aggression, and SAFE-05 Possession of Weapons contain additional information regarding this topic. Medical Emergencies A medical emergency is an occurrence such as when a consumer or fellow staff member has fallen, hit their head on an object and is unconscious, or appears to have a seizure or heart attack. In a medical emergency, staff who have been trained should use First Aid and, if needed, CPR to assist the individual and call 9-911 immediately. The caller should be prepared to give the 911 operator as many details as possible including a good description of the individual s condition and location in the building. Administrative Policy SAFE-01 Medical Emergencies contains additional information regarding this topic. Bomb Threats If You Receive a Bomb Threat: 1. Utilize the Bomb Threat Checklist see attached checklist 2. Stay calm 3. If possible, quietly alert another staff member to notify Shelter staff of the situation while you are on the phone. 4. After completion of call, IMMEDIATELY call 9-911 then the Security Officer at 704-336-2300. If necessary, the security officer will contact the roving security officer at 704-631-7687. If roving officer is unavailable he/she will contact his/her supervisor at 704-576-8241. If above are unavailable then the security officer will contact Captain Rich Goff at 704-785-5061. The supervisor will contact County Security Coordinator at 980-314-2505 or 704-622-0554. 5. Do not activate the fire alarm system or use a cell phone as this could potentially trigger a bomb. Men s Shelter Emergency Response Guide Page 2 of 5
6. Alert the Lead Counselor of the day, who will send an e-mail to alert Shelter staff. In the Lead Counselor s absence, anyone can send the e-mail. Staff will be asked to alert everyone around them who may not have access to email. 7. Staff will evacuate using the same routes as with fire drills. On their way out, staff will take notice of any unusual boxes or items not normally placed in their work area and alert the management team of any suspicious items. 8. Report suspicious looking objects or items to Shelter staff and law enforcement. 9. All available Shelter Staff will assemble outside the facility near the back parking lot to identify suspicious objects or items reported by staff Fire Emergency Procedures Equipment Information The design of this building incorporates the following features to insure maximum fire and life safety: 1. Fire extinguishers of the appropriate type are conspicuously located. 2. Emergency Exits are marked with EXIT signs. EVACUATION SAFETY TEAM To effectively implement the provisions of this Emergency Response Guide for 1210 North Tryon Street, all staff members will be aware of each other s presence/absence in the building and the Lead Counselor* for the day will be responsible for all CSS staff members evacuating safely. *(Counselor that is in the lead position according to the current SACOT Treatment Schedule in the event that the lead counselor is absent the secondary counselor will be responsible for implementing needed safety measures.) Lead counselor will serve as liaison between Men s Shelter of Charlotte and the shelter program. A. All counselors will be knowledgeable of the Emergency Response Guide, conduct evacuation/emergency drills as prompted by CSS and/or Men s Shelter of Charlotte. B. In case of an emergency CSS staff should NOTIFY MEN S SHELTER OF CHARLOTTE FRONT DESK SUPERVISOR IMMEDIATELY AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF THE SHELTER STAFF. C. Upon sounding of the alarm, BEGIN EVACUATION IMMEDIATELY. The meeting place will be located at least 100 feet away from the building, at the sectioned off area by the fence in the rear parking lot. DO NOT RE-ENTER THE BUILDING WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE MEN S SHELTER OF CHARLOTTE STAFF. PERSON ASSIGNED TO CALL 9-911: *Do not use cell phones at any time during an evacuation of any type as this could potentially trigger a bomb. A. The Lead Counselor is responsible for NOTIFYING MEN S SHELTER OF CHARLOTTE FRONT DESK SUPERVISOR IMMEDIATELY AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF THE SHELTER STAFF. Men s Shelter Emergency Response Guide Page 3 of 5
B. The Lead Counselor is responsible for taking consumer treatment roster to the designated assembly area, to aid the fire department in accounting for all occupants and visitors. Any employee or citizen who refuses to cooperate with the Emergency Response Guide and/or fails to follow direction from evacuation coordinators, evacuation directors, security personnel or Fire Department personnel may be subject to civil citation and fines. County employees who fail to cooperate or follow appropriate direction may also be subject to disciplinary action as provided in County HR policy. EVACUATION DRILLS AND TRAINING: A. Evacuation drills will be conducted as required by North Carolina Building Code Volume V, Chapter 8, Section 809. All persons occupying the building will participate in the drills. B. Details (including time to evacuate) of drills and the evaluation of their effectiveness will be maintained by the Evacuation Safety Director. This information will be available for examination by building tenants and Charlotte Fire Department personnel as requested. C. Drills will begin with the sounding of the alarm, receipt of an email with the word drill in the subject line, or at a table top drill during a staff meeting. D. All CSS SACOT occupants of the building and the fire evacuation team shall be trained on the evacuation procedures of this plan as needed. Men s Shelter Emergency Response Guide Page 4 of 5
MECKLENBURG COUNTY Community Support Services BOMB THREAT REPORT Place this form under your phone or in your phone book QUESTIONS TO ASK: 1. When is the bomb going to explode? 2. Where is it right now? 3. What does it look like? 4. What kind of bomb is it? 5. What will cause it to explode? 6. Did you place the bomb? 7. Why? 8. What is your address? 9. What is your name? EXACT WORDING OF THE THREAT: CALLER S VOICE Calm Nasal Angry Stutter Excited Lisp Slow Raspy Rapid Deep Soft Ragged Loud Clearing Throat Laughter Deep Breathing Crying Cracking Voice Normal Disguised Distinct Familiar Slurred Whispered If voice is familiar, who does it sound like? BACKGROUND SOUNDS: Street Noises Factory Crockery Animal Noises Voices Clear PA System Static Music Local House Noises Long Distance Motor Booth Office Machinery Other: THREAT LANGUAGE: Well Spoken Incoherent (educated) Taped Foul Message Read by Irrational Threat Maker Gender of caller: Age: Length of Call: Number at which call is received: Race: Time: Date: / / Report call immediately to: CHARLOTTE POLICE: DIAL 9+911 Date: Name & Position: Phone Number: Men s Shelter Emergency Response Guide Page 5 of 5