LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF S OFFICE CORRECTIONS DIVISION Section/Policy: J-0300 POLICY AND PROCEDURES Subject: Number of Pages: 8 LAFAYETTE PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER EMERGENCY PLAN References: ACA: 4-ALDF-1C-01 (Mandatory); 4-ALDF-1C-05 (Mandatory); 4-ALDF-1C-06; 4- ALDF-1C-12 NCCHC: J-A-07 (Essential); J-E-08 (Essential) Corrections Division Policy and Procedure: A-2700; J-5600 Approved by: Jail Commander: Director of Corrections: Revision/Review dates: Originated: 07/18/03; Revised: 06/09/04; Reviewed: 06/30/04; Revised: 10/11/04; Revised: 05/06/05; Reviewed: 06/30/05; Revised: 10/24/05; Reviewed: 06/30/06; Reviewed: 06/08/07; Reviewed: 05/02/08; Revised: 07/30/10; Revised: 01/23/15; Revised: 01/14/16 J-0300 POLICY: Emergency procedures shall be instituted in order to preserve and protect lives of staff, offenders, and visitors while maintaining security and protecting the property of the facility. These plans shall be reviewed annually and updated if necessary. All facility personnel shall be trained in the implementation of these plans. (4-ALDF-1C-01 Mandatory; 4-ALDF- 1C-05 Mandatory) J-0301 DISCUSSION: In the best interest of the safety for human life within the facility, emergency plans must exist. They also must be taught, practiced, reviewed, and made known to outside agencies that may need to respond in the case of emergency. J-0302 DEFINITIONS: Page 1 of 8 Policy J-0300
A. Person-in-Charge: The highest ranking supervisor on duty in the facility or at the scene of an emergency. B. Emergency Codes: Code Bravo: Staff emergency backup. Code Red: Code Blue: Offender-on-offender assault/battery. Medical emergency. Code Green: Escape/attempted escape. Code 51: Code 52: Code Echo: Fire. Suicide/attempted suicide. Evacuation. (J-5600) C. Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT): This specialized team is designed to maintain a standard of readiness, emergency preparedness, and provide safe and secure evacuation of all staff, visitors, and offenders. D. Emergency Notification Form: A form that lists persons and/or departments to contact in the event of an emergency. The list identifies specific persons and/or departments according to the types of emergencies. E. Bomb Threat Call Checklist: J-0303 RULES: A checklist to be used by the individual receiving a bomb threat call, in which the caller threatens the safety or security of the facility and/or its occupants. A. All facility staff shall receive orientation and annual training in the implementation of written emergency plans. (4-ALDF-1C-01 Mandatory) Page 2 of 8 Policy J-0300
B. There shall be a meeting of all facility staff on each shift at least annually to discuss and review emergency procedures used in the facility. Emergency procedures meetings shall cover: 1. Assignment of persons to specific tasks and responsibilities in case of emergency situations. 2. Review of instructions relating to the use and operation of alarms and detectors. 3. The location and operation of emergency equipment. 4. Evacuation routes and procedures. 5. Notification of appropriate persons and agencies. (J-E-08 - Essential) C. The facility shall maintain an emergency generator that reacts immediately to any loss of commercial power. All telephones, intercoms, and base radios are supplied power by the emergency generator during commercial power loss. This equipment is necessary to maintain essential lights, power, and communications in an emergency. (4-ALDF-1C-12) D. The facility shall issue hand-held radios that communicate to the facilities base stations. Hand-held radios work in-house on a secure channel or can be switched to communicate with outside agencies. This provides a communications system within the facility and between the facility and the community in the event of urgent, special, or unusual incidents or emergency situations. E. Whenever an emergency code is communicated, it shall be the responsibility of all available CERT members and designated staff to respond to the alarm to determine the nature of the emergency and assess the situation. F. Staff communicating an emergency code via hand-held radio shall clearly call the specific code and the location three times to ensure that responders are aware of the exact type and location of the emergency (i.e. Code Red Two Alpha; Code Red Two Alpha; Code Red Two Alpha). All nonemergency radio traffic shall be restricted until the emergency is cleared. G. A current Emergency Notification Form shall be posted, at a minimum, in the Master Control Center and at locations accessible to staff. (A-2700) J-0304 PROCEDURES: Page 3 of 8 Policy J-0300
A. Specific steps to be taken in case of emergency: 1. Fire (4-ALDF-1C-05 Mandatory): a. Sound the alarm manually: (1) Pull station; (2) Radio; (3) Telephone; (4) Yell. b. Notify the Master Control Center to contact the Lafayette Fire Department immediately in the case of any known fire situation. (1) Notify the Master Control Center of a false alarm when it is determined that no fire exists in the alarm area; (2) Master Control Center staff shall contact the Lafayette Fire Department within three minutes of an alarm that has not been determined to be false ; (3) Master Control Center staff shall notify the personnel indicated on the Emergency Notification Form. c. Move offenders away from the fire and/or smoke; d. Use an appropriate fire extinguisher and/or fire hose, if possible, to extinguish the fire; e. If the fire cannot be extinguished with a fire extinguisher and/or fire hose, wait for fire department personnel. Evacuate yourself from the area if the situation becomes too dangerous; f. Report any injuries to the health care staff and the on-duty supervisor; g. Preserve the crime scene. 2. Escape/attempted escape (4-ALDF-1C-05 Mandatory): Page 4 of 8 Policy J-0300
a. Communicate a Code Green; b. Notify the on-duty supervisor; c. Isolate and contain the situation; d. Verify the name and description of the escapee; e. Once on the scene, the on-duty supervisor shall: (1) Stop all movement, including receiving and releasing of offenders, and lockdown the facility; (2) Notify the personnel indicated on the Emergency Notification Form; (3) Gather all written materials available on the offender(s) involved; (4) Reproduce photographs for as many as shall be searching for the escapee; (5) Ensure that Incident Reports are completed and submitted to the Jail Commander. (A-2700) 3. Hostage/riot (4-ALDF-1C-05 Mandatory): a. Notify the personnel indicated on the Emergency Notification Form; b. Localize and isolate the disturbance and lockdown the facility; c. Set up communications (audio and video if possible); d. Await orders from the person-in-charge. 4. Bomb threat/suspicious package (4-ALDF-1C-05 Mandatory): a. Keep the caller on the line as long as possible; b. Complete the Bomb Threat Call Checklist posted at each duty station; (A-2700) c. Do not use hand-held tactical radios; such usage may detonate an actual bomb; Page 5 of 8 Policy J-0300
d. Do not touch or move suspicious packages; e. Notify the on-duty supervisor; f. Isolate and contain the scene; g. Once on the scene, the person-in-charge shall: (1) Request an available Bomb Squad Unit from the Sheriff s Office Communications Center; (2) Lockdown the facility and make the decision on evacuation; (3) Notify the personnel indicated on the Emergency Notification Form; (4) Ensure that Incident Reports and the Bomb Threat Call Checklist are completed and submitted to the Jail Commander. (A-2700) 5. Medical emergency (4-ALDF-1C-05 Mandatory; J-A-07 Essential): a. In the event of any life-threatening emergency, communicate a Code Blue and administer appropriate first aid; b. When health care staff arrives on the scene, the responder shall advise the persons involved of the necessary steps to rectify the situation; c. In the event of an epidemic or food poisoning, the health care staff and person-in-charge shall be notified immediately; d. The person-in-charge shall take whatever steps are necessary and appropriate to control the situation. 6. Natural disaster/loss of utilities (4-ALDF-1C-05 Mandatory): a. In the event of total electrical power loss, backup keys shall be used in order to manually operate security doors; Page 6 of 8 Policy J-0300
b. Battery powered emergency lighting is located in all workstations, offender housing units, and evacuation routes throughout the facility; c. In the event of a natural disaster, the person-in-charge shall coordinate activities with the Sheriff s Office Emergency Preparedness Director; d. The person-in-charge shall notify the Jail Commander. 7. Severe weather (4-ALDF-1C-05 Mandatory): a. In the event of severe weather, which may affect the normal operations of the facility, the person-in-charge shall implement an appropriate plan of action; b. The person-in-charge shall notify the Jail Commander of actions taken; c. The person-in-charge shall ensure that all appropriate reports are completed and submitted to the Jail Commander. (A-2700) 8. Hunger strike (4-ALDF-1C-05 Mandatory): a. In the event of a hunger strike, health care staff shall be notified in order to assess the situation; b. Health care staff shall research the history of meal refusals for the offender(s) involved by reviewing the behavior sheet(s) in ARMMS; c. In the event of an extended hunger strike, the Health Care Authority shall have the option of implementing forced intravenous fluids in case of deteriorating offender health levels; d. The person-in-charge shall ensure that all appropriate reports are completed and submitted to the Jail Commander. 9. Work stoppage (4-ALDF-1C-06): a. The on-duty staff shall not be relieved until the emergency plan is implemented; Page 7 of 8 Policy J-0300
b. The Jail Commander and all department managers shall be notified immediately. All other non-affected staff shall be called in to assist as needed; c. The person-in-charge shall be responsible for coordinating and implementing all activities for the duration of the work stoppage; d. An emergency lockdown of the facility shall take place. Offenders shall be informed of the reason for the lockdown and temporary suspension of activities and programs. All efforts shall be made to continue personal hygiene and telephone privileges on a regular basis; e. If sufficient assistance for minimal adequate functioning is not available from Corrections Division staff, the personin-charge shall request assistance from the Sheriff s Office and outside agencies; f. All other program activities become subordinate to maintaining security, custody, and control within the facility. Program schedules shall be reinstated only at the discretion of the person-in-charge in accordance with available staffing. B. Post emergency activities: 1. The return to normal operations shall be completed in a professional and timely manner for all emergency situations; 2. The person-in-charge shall conduct a critique of the operation as soon as possible after completion. This critique shall cover: a. Deficiencies in staffing, equipment, procedures, or Post Orders; b. A review of staff and offender actions; c. A review of the impact on staff and offenders involved; d. Suggestions for improving policy, procedures, and training in order to avoid another incident; 3. The critique shall be forwarded to the Director of Corrections. Page 8 of 8 Policy J-0300