In the event that the facility is threatened by severe weather such as a tornado warning, or a spill of hazardous contaminants in close proximity to the facility, the decision may be made to shelter indoors rather than evacuate the building. In this situation, please follow these procedures:

  • Staff shall immediately close the building.  If there are contractors or others in the building, they shall be advised to stay in the building for their safety.
  • Unless there is an imminent threat, staff members, and visitors shall be advised to call their emergency contacts to let them know where they are and that they are safe.  Staff will pay special attention to any unaccompanied minors who may be on the premises and in need of assistance. An ERT Member or supervisor at the assembly point will remind those gathered to make this call and take attendance.
  • A staff member shall turn on call-forwarding or alternative telephone answering services. The recording for voice mail or automated attendant shall be changed to indicate that the facility is temporarily closed, and that staff and visitors will be remaining in the building until authorities advise that it is safe to leave.
  • If the sheltering order is due to the release of toxic or hazardous material in the immediate area, then an ERT Member and designated assistants shall attempt to minimize air flow with the outside by:
    • Quickly lock exterior doors and close windows, air vents, and fireplace dampers.
    • An ERT Member familiar with the building’s mechanical systems shall turn off, seal, or disable all fans. They will also seal, or disable heating and air conditioning systems, especially those systems that automatically provide for exchange of inside air with outside air.
    • If available, the opening will be covered with plastic sheeting and duct tape.
  • The EMT Member(s) shall inventory and begin distributing essential disaster supplies (i.e., battery-powered radios, first-aid supplies, flashlights, batteries,), which are stored (INSERT LOCATION) in the shelter.
  • All staff and visitors shall move immediately to the designated shelter locations within the building.

Each shelter location should be pre-provisioned with an adequate supply of water, food, first aid equipment, etc. See the Ready Rating worksheet: Shelter Provisioning for more information on this topic.

Everyone will stay in the shelter until the All Clear Announcement is made.