Shelter-in-Place A Guide for You and Your Family IA I-DAD COUNTY Office of Emergency Management 9300 NW 41st Street Miami, FL 33178
What is Shelter-in-Place? During an emergency, an emergency alert might require the public to shelterin-place that is, to take Shelter-in-Place refuge indoors. Shelteringin-place offers immediate protection for a short time in your home or other building. Under many circumstances, sheltering-in-place is the best way to protect yourself from a hazard and is a safer alternative than evacuation. Why you might need to Shelter-in-Place Potentially hazardous events that might occur in Miami-Dade County include: Hurricanes or tornadoes Chemical/hazardous material releases (e.g., industrial accident or act of terrorism) Wildfires Radiation releases (e.g., from a nuclear power plant incident or act of terrorism) How you would know to Shelter-in-Place Miami-Dade County officials would issue an emergency alert on radio or TV that instructs the public to shelter-in-place. To ensure that you have the most current information, know which radio and TV stations broadcast emergency information in your area. Listen for updates because changing conditions could alter recommendations. During an emergency, Emergency Alert System messages will announce what protective measures are most appropriate. Miami-Dade County Answer Center: 311 or (305) 468-5900 TDD: (305) 468-5402 Web site with emergency information: www.miamidade.gov/oem Shelter-in-Place General Planning Prepare a family emergency plan. Include plans for sheltering-in-place, evacuation, communicating with your family, caring for pets, locating important papers and insurance documents, and obtaining extra cash in case banks and ATMs are closed. Learn about warning sirens where you live. If you live within the Emergency Planning Zone of a nuclear power plant, become familiar with that siren and when it is being tested. Choose a room in which to shelter. It should be an interior room with few or no windows, doors, or vents. If possible, choose a room with a water supply and a hard-wired telephone. Prepare an emergency supply kit (see Emergency Supply Kit Checklist, page 5). Know which local radio and TV stations broadcast emergency information. Pre-cut pieces of plastic sheeting to seal cracks around windows, doors, and vents in case of a chemical, radiological, or biological threat. This will help to prevent air contaminants from entering the room. Learn CPR and/or first aid. 1
If Told to Shelter-in-Place: For all emergencies requiring Shelter-in-Place be sure to: Go indoors to your designated shelter-in-place room/area. Make sure all family members and pets are with you. Bring your emergency supply kit with you. Don t use gas, propane, or kerosene appliances; vapors might be toxic. Listen to your radio or TV for emergency information. Stay indoors until given the all clear signal or other instructions. Hurricanes or Tornadoes Seek shelter in an interior room in the center of your residence. It should be a room without windows such as a hall closet. Protect yourself with a mattress or other padding as necessary. Do not leave the safety of the interior room. Flying debris has been known to penetrate walls, tree trunks, and shutters. Stay tuned to the media for the progress of a hurricane because a calm outside may not mean the storm is over it might just be the eye of the hurricane passing over. If you live in a high-rise building, move to the interior (preferably a stairwell or hallway) below the 10th floor. The winds are stronger at higher elevations. Leave a clear path and accessible exit in case of fire. Take extra caution with light sources. Use flashlights or battery-operated lanterns. Do not use open candles or gas lanterns. Chemical/Hazardous Material Releases Close and lock windows, doors, and vents (locking provides a tighter seal). Turn OFF air ventilation systems (window/attic fans, air conditioners, etc.). Close the fireplace damper. Go to an aboveground interior room (not the basement, unless otherwise instructed) or the room with the fewest windows, doors, and vents. Apply duct tape around the door, closing off the crack between the door and door jamb. If flooring material or the size of the space makes duct tape ineffective under the door, wet some towels and jam them in the crack. Use heavy plastic (heavy garbage bags are okay) and duct tape to cover and seal off windows, outlets, heat registers, exhaust fans, and vents. Close the window shades, blinds, or curtains. To avoid injury in case of explosion, stay away from the windows. Miami-Dade County Answer Center: 311 or (305) 468-5900 2
If Told to Shelter-in-Place (Cont.): Wildfires Sheltering-in-place during wildfires does not typically require a designated shelter-in-place room. Simply stay indoors at home, school, or the office as directed. Close windows, doors, and vents. Turn ON air conditioning or air filtration systems if possible. Keep a damp cloth for everyone in the house in case of heavy smoke. Breathe through the cloth as necessary. Have your emergency supply kit ready in case you have to leave quickly. Fires can change direction quickly and may threaten your home. Emergency Alert System: If public protective action is needed, Emergency Management will transmit copies of messages to local media on what protective actions are necessary. Radiation Releases The government has established strict guidelines to ensure your safety in the unlikely event of an emergency at a nuclear power plant. Emergency officials will provide timely, accurate information and instructions. Sheltering-in-place for other types of radiation releases (e.g., from a terrorist act) follows similar guidelines. Close and lock windows, doors, and vents (locking provides a tighter seal). Turn OFF air ventilation systems (window/attic fans, etc.). Air conditioners can remain on if the air exchange vents are closed. Close the fireplace damper. Go to the basement, if possible, or to an interior room with the fewest windows, doors, and vents. Use duct tape and plastic sheeting to cover and seal off doors, windows, outlets, heat registers, exhaust fans, and vents. Cover or refrigerate food. 3
What if an emergency is declared, you are instructed to shelter-in-place, and you or your children are not at home? If you are at work Employees, customers, and owners will need to stay if told to shelter-in-place. Unless there is an imminent threat, employees, customers, and others should call their emergency contacts to let them know where they are and that they are safe. If the business closes, the manager/owner should consider changing the voicemail message to indicate that the business is closed and that staff and visitors are remaining in the building until authorities advise that it is safe to leave. The business owner/manager should write down the names of everyone in the building, if possible, and call the designated emergency contact for the business to report who is there. Follow other guidance in this brochure for sheltering-in-place for the hazard at hand. Communications Plan Talk to your employer and your children's school or day care center about emergency plans. Choose a contact who lives out of the area for family members to call to report that they are okay. If you are in a vehicle This depends on the type of hazard present. In general: If you are very close to home, your office, or a public building, go there immediately and go inside. Follow the shelter-in-place recommendations of the building. If you are unable to get to a home or building quickly and safely, then pull over to the side of the road. Stop on the side of the road when safe to do so. If it is sunny outside, it is preferable to stop under a bridge or in a shady spot to avoid overheating. Turn off the engine. Close windows and vents. For a chemical, radiological, or biological threat, seal the heating/air conditioning vents with duct tape, if possible. If there is a hurricane, don t stay in your vehicle out in the open. Get protection next to a fixed structure, away from an area that may flood. If there is a tornado threat, stop on the side of the road when safe to do so. Leave your vehicle and seek shelter in a ditch or ravine. Be sure to cover/protect your head. Listen to the radio for updated advice and instructions. Stay where you are until you are told it is safe to get back on the road. Follow the directions of law enforcement officials. If your child is at school The school will likely activate its emergency plan and, if told to shelter-in-place, will bring students, faculty, and staff indoors. Students and staff will be instructed to remain in the building until authorities advise that it is safe to leave. The school s voicemail message might be changed to indicate that the school is closed and that students and staff are remaining in the building until authorities advise that it is safe to leave. 4
Emergency Supply Kit Checklist FOOD/WATER Bottled water, 3- to 14-day supply (1 gallon per person per day) Non-perishable food, 3- to 14-day supply per person MEDICAL Medications Prescription information (doctor, name of medicine) Special diet foods Eyeglasses or contacts BABY SUPPLIES Formula Diapers Bottles, pacifiers CLOTHING One complete change of clothes and footwear per person BEDDING Blankets, sleeping bags PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS Soaps Toothbrush/toothpaste Sanitary items MISCELLANEOUS Battery-powered radio Extra batteries First aid kit Kitchen supplies (e.g., manual can opener, utensils, plastic wrap) Cash, credit cards Extra set of keys Important papers (proof of residence, insurance papers, identification) Flashlight Pet supplies (food, water, litter box, grooming items) Important phone numbers Pre-cut plastic sheeting and duct tape Entertainment items for children (e.g., puzzles, small toys, games, stuffed animals) TIPS: Know which local radio and TV stations broadcast emergency information Have your emergency supply kit readily available Don't forget supplies for your pets 5
Safe Rooms A safe room is a reinforced area of your home or building designed to withstand severe wind storms and chemical, radiological, and biological threats. For information on safe rooms and how to build one in your home, go to: www.fema.gov/mit/saferoom If you do not have a reinforced safe room, designate an interior room with few or no windows or external doors (e.g., a hall closet) as a temporary safe room. If you have not been told to evacuate, use your designated safe room to help protect you during an emergency. (A non-reinforced safe room is not typically suitable for protection in a mobile home during high-wind emergencies.) Recovery after an Emergency Local officials will inform the public when they are confident that the threat has ended. The four options for ending shelter-in-place are: Resume normal activity with no restrictions. Ventilate the shelter but remain indoors. Exit the shelter. Relocate to a designated facility. The public will be instructed on the most appropriate steps to end shelter-in-place after the threat has diminished. Local officials on the scene are the best source of information for your particular situation. Following their instructions during and after emergencies regarding sheltering, food, water, and clean-up methods is your safest choice. 6
Additional Resources American Red Cross, Fact Sheet on Shelter-in-Place. http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/shelterinplace.html. 2003. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chemical Agents: Facts About Sheltering in Place. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/planning/shelteringfacts.asp. 2004. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Are you Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness. http://www.fema.gov/areyouready. 2005. Florida Department of Health, The State of Florida Family Preparedness Guide. http://www.miamidade.gov/security/library/pub_depthealthfamilyprepare.pdf. 2003. National Institute for Chemical Studies, Shelter-in-Place Information Center. http://www.nicsinfo.org/sip%20center.htm. 2005. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Questions and Answers Regarding Actions to Take When Ending Shelter-in-Place. ORNL/TM-2003/230, prepared for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 2003. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Make a Plan. http://www.ready.gov/index.html. 2005. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Terror Alert Resource and Information Center. http://www.nationalterroralert.com. 2005. U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Evacuation Plans and Procedures etool: Shelter-in-Place. http://www.osha.gov/sltc/etools/evacuation/shelterinplace.html#procedures. 2005. IA I-DAD COUNTY Office of Emergency Management 9300 NW 41st Street Miami, FL 33178 (305) 468-5400 Shelter-in-Place www.miamidade.gov