Shandon United Methodist Church Emergency … Security Plan Oct 2016 rev.pdf · Shandon United...

Shandon United Methodist Church

Emergency Policy and Procedure Guidelines

October 2016

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EMERGENCY NUMBERS

EMERGENCY SERVICES: 9 -1 -1 LOCAL EMERGENCY INFORMATION LINE: 803-576-3400 LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT: 803-545-3500 (2123 Devine Street) LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT: 803-733-8363 (2847 Devine Street) ALARM COMPANY CONTACT NUMBER: 803-476-0014 POISON CONTROL CONACT NUMBER: 1-800-222-1222 (Emergency) 803-777-1117 (Non-Emergency/Local) LOCAL HOSPITAL: Providence 803-256-5300 Palmetto Health Richland 803-434-7000 Palmetto Health Baptist 803-296-6010 LOCAL FBI FIELD OFFICE: 803-296-6010 CHURCH ADDRESS: 3407 Devine Street, SC 29205 MAIN OFFICE #: 803-256-8383 PRESCHOOL #: 803-256-1498

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Table of Contents

I. Introduction

II. Fire Procedures

A. Fire Drills and Emergency Awareness

B. Evacuation Procedures During Normal Business Hours

C. Evacuation Procedures During Evening, Weekend Activities

III. Medical Emergencies

IV. Severe Weather (Tornado)

V. Intruder/ Active Threat Situation

A. Intruder

B. Active Threat

1. Profile of an Active Threat

2. Coping With An Active Threat Situation

3. How To Respond When An Active Threat Is In Your Vicinity

i. Evacuate

ii. Hide Out

iii. Take action against the active threat

4. How To Respond When Law Enforcement Arrives

Appendix

Campus Building Overview Emergency Equipment, Fire Pull Stations, Extinguishers, & Emergency Aid Boxes Semi Annual Fire/Tornado Drill Reporting Form Injury/Incident Report Form

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I. Introduction

This manual is intended to provide ministers, staff, and church members with guidance and a better understanding of individual responsibilities and measures to be taken when emergency situations occur on church property. Although these procedures provide the general framework for actions to be taken, the individuals initiating the response must display a solid understanding of the situation which may dictate an alternative course of action than referenced in this document for the safety and well-being of those involved.

Included as an Appendix is a plan view of the church property including the four buildings and sanctuary. Knowing the name of the buildings found on page one of the Appendix and proximity to each other will assist in following the procedures listed in the manual as well as identifying the locations of fire pull downs, extinguishers, and medical supplies.

Staff Responsibilities - The following staff members will be encouraged to log into

the church security system via smart phones and to carry the phones with them during their course of business.

Ministerial Staff Business Manager Director of Christian Education and Programs Director of Youth Ministries Associate Directors of Children and Family Ministries Preschool Director Director of Kitchen Ministries Security Security Custodial Staff (3) The senior staff member onsite during an emergency or drill exercise will be

determined in the order listed above.

II. Fire Procedures

A. Fire Drills and Emergency Awareness.

It is necessary for church staff to carry out a fire, hazardous materials, tornado drill annually. During this time a discussion of procedures to follow for these situations as well as in the event of an intruder/active threat situation. This dissemination of material will be initiated by the Health and Welfare Committee (HWC) and coordinated with clergy and staff. The HWC has overall responsibility for implementing the requirements contained in this manual. This drills discussed in this document will be conducted in September each year. The September drill for weekday staff can be coordinated with Preschool drill activities which are conducted monthly.

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In addition to conducting a fire drill during week day business hours for church staff, a fire drill should also take place during Sunday School hours for all ages infants and up. The HWC will coordinate with the Director of Christian Education and Programs or designate in scheduling this fire drill and provide written instruction to the teachers on their responsibilities.

Clergy will address the congregation on the day fire drill takes place in the education buildings and include procedures the congregation will follow should an emergency occur during church services. Director of Kitchen Ministries will make the announcement on Wednesday preceding the Sunday in which the annual drill occurs. These actions will be done in coordination with the HWC which have overall responsibility in implementing the activities and the content of any announcements.

All drills will include identifying to the audience the nearest locations of pull downs,

emergency aid stations special equipment, fire extinguishers, primary and secondary exit routes. Procedures for addressing fire situations as well as for tornados and other emergency situations should be included.

Sunday school teachers should ensure students' orderly travel to their designated

assembly area and return when conducting the drill. Child Care Coordinator will assist in providing this instruction as directed by the Associate Directors.

Additionally, a discussion of drill procedures should take place during the

Wednesday Night activities and will be carried out under the supervision of Director of Kitchen Ministries or his/her designee.

The fire drills will be held in September and should include dissemination of “what

to do” in the event of various emergencies. The procedures to follow will apply to church staff, Sunday school classes, and Wednesday night participants. Information will be disseminated by the class teacher for that Sunday under the direction of the leaders for each education ministry (Children, Family, and Youth).

During the week in which the drills will take place, a brief announcement will be

made at each of the religious services and will include exit routes and assembly areas for the congregation. A walk-through exercise is not required but primary and secondary exist routes will be identified and location of equipment found in the Narthex. Additional information may include instruction in the event of an intruder situation.

Documentation of the fire drill exercises will be done utilizing the form found in

the Appendix.

B. Evacuation Procedures During Normal Business Hours.

Custodial Staff will respond to all fire alarms, determine the location and check for the actual cause of the alarm. They will not reset the alarm. The Fire Department will reset after they arrive and determine all is clear. They will notify the senior staff member present of the situation and await further instruction. In the event of evening activities, the

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security staff will assume this responsibility. If there is no fire, the Business Manager or senior staff member present will notify

the monitoring service or fire department of the false alarm whether day time or evening. If there is a fire in any of the four buildings, members of the custodial staff will clear

the affected area of personnel and close all doors leading into the building. Exiting the building will be in accordance with the displayed evacuation plan posted for that area. Custodial staff must make themselves aware of the proper exit routes for all buildings. The senior staff member present will conduct a final sweep of the affected building to include class and rest rooms.

No one will be allowed to re-enter the building until the Fire Department determines

that the building is safe.

Once the location of the alarm has been identified, Custodial Staff will transfer authority of further assessment and coordination with the Fire Department to the senior staff member present as reflected in the listing of staff seniority found under Staff Responsibilities found on page four.

Custodial Staff and security personnel will undergo annual training on fire response

procedures and responsibilities as included in this manual as will the ministerial and other staff members.

In the event of a fire alarm during church services the head Usher for Sanctuary and

Gym (lifeline) services will have all ushers report to their assigned areas to assist persons, especially the physically impaired in exiting these doors and building.

Ushers will ensure all exterior doors to the affected building remain closed following

the evacuation and that no one be allowed to re-enter until the all clear is given by the Fire Department.

Communication with the Director of Preschool and Kindergarten or their designee

will be immediate once an alarm has been detected and kept in communication following further development.

Custodial Staff will respond to all fire alarms, determine the location and check for

the actual cause of the alarm. They will not reset the alarm. The Fire Department will reset after they arrive and determine all is clear. They will notify the senior staff member present of the situation and await further instruction. In the event of evening activities, the security staff will assume this responsibility.

If there is no fire, the Business Manager or senior staff member present will notify

the monitoring service or fire department of the false alarm whether day time or evening. If there is a fire in any of the four buildings, members of the custodial staff will clear

the affected area of personnel and close all doors leading into the building. Exiting the

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building will be in accordance with the displayed evacuation plan posted for that area. Custodial staff must make themselves aware of the proper exit routes for all buildings. A ministerial staff member present will conduct a final sweep of the affected building to include class and rest rooms.

No one will be allowed to re-enter the building until the Fire Department determines

that the building is safe. Once the location of the alarm has been identified, Custodial Staff will transfer

authority of further assessment and coordination with the Fire Department to the senior staff member present as reflected in the listing of staff seniority found under Staff Responsibilities found on page four.

Custodial Staff and security personnel will undergo semi-annual training on fire

response procedures and responsibilities as included in this manual as will the ministerial and other staff members.

In the event of a fire alarm during church services the head Usher for Sanctuary and

Gym (lifeline) services will have all ushers report to their assigned areas to assist persons, especially the physically impaired, in exiting these doors and building.

Ushers will ensure all exterior doors to the affected building remain closed following

the evacuation and that no one be allowed to re-enter until the all clear is given by the Fire Department.

Communication with the Director of Preschool and Kindergarten or their designee

will be immediate once an alarm has been detected and kept in communication following further development.

C. Evacuation Procedures During Evening, Weekend Activities.

In the event of an alarm during evening activities the security staff will assume the responsibility as described in previous paragraphs for ushers with exception of evening sanctuary activities. Week end activities relating to church services, Sunday school, or youth activity will be directed by the church individual in charge for that activity.

Funeral and weddings will be directed by the minister in charge of the service. Youth Director, or their designee, will assume responsibility for action when

organized youth events are occurring and ensure evacuation in accordance with the published diagram for the affected building.

Security personnel will have primary responsibility in investigating a fire alarm

activation during evening activities and notify ministerial staff present and individual(s) overseeing the activity. They will ensure evacuation in accordance with the posted plan for the affected building and conduct a walk through to ensure all personnel have been evacuated. If ministerial staff is present, they will conduct the final walk through of the affected building.

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Assembly Points: During evacuations, all participants involved will be directed to

assembly areas west of Adger Road immediately adjacent to the building from which the evacuation occurred.

III. Medical Emergencies

For all medical emergencies call 911. If the emergency involves any type of poison, call poison control at 1-800-222-1222 (Emergency), 803-777-1117 (Non-Emergency/Local).

For other emergency situations, medical equipment and material are located in each

building as identified in the Appendix. If evacuation or transport is requested for any person suffering from a medical

emergency, a written report using the form found in the Appendix will be prepared by the individual requesting evacuation or transport to a medical facility, and the report will become part of church's administrative record located in the Business Office.

An Incident or Injury Report should be filled out no later than following the fifth

business day after the incident. The senior minister will be notified by either phone, text or email as soon after the incident as possible.

IV. Severe Weather (Tornado)

Upon notification of a tornado warning via an emergency system, all students, faculty

and staff should immediately cease their activities and all individuals should seek shelter in accordance with material disseminated in September drill. Church staff responsibilities under this section of the manual are substantially similar to those found under Section II. (Fire Procedures). Staff should give an audible warning as soon as feasible after a warning is declared for the severe weather or a tornado is seen. Emergency numbers can be found on page two in this document.

Activity leaders will direct Sunday school students, church congregation, and/or

activity participants to areas which the staff member believes provide the best protection from the storm. During that time, take a head count to account for personnel and other individuals at the church during the storm.

An underground area such as the church basement (needs to be kept clear for this

use) often provides the best protection from a tornado. If an underground shelter is unavailable, consider the following:

• Seek a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible • Stay away from doors, windows, and outside walls • Stay in the center of the room, and avoid corners because they attract debris

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• Go to rooms constructed with reinforced concrete, brick or block with no windows and a heavy concrete floor or roof system overhead

• Avoid auditoriums, cafeterias and gymnasiums that have flat, wide-span roofs.

Remain in the protected area until the warning has been lifted, emergency personnel direct you to leave, or the danger is no longer present. Disregard news media weather emergency notification/cancellation. The senior church staff member on campus will issue the all clear after communicating with local authorities.

During the warning period, it will be necessary for each individual to assume the

protective position (shown below) when a tornado has been spotted in the immediate vicinity of the church.

V. Intruder / Active Threat Situation

If you see someone that doesn't look familiar to you, stop, and take a moment to say hello and see if you can assist them. Don't assume that because someone is already in the building that they might not benefit from your assistance. A. Intruder

When an intruder or unknown individual has been reported on church property, the

individual noting the intrusion will notify the Business Manager, or if not available, the Senior Minister. In the absence of both, the Director of Christian Education and Programs will be notified at which time a determination will be made as whether or not the city police should be notified. Continuing delegation of authority will follow as reflected on page four in the event none of the above listed individuals is present.

The senior staff member notified of this situation should continue to monitor the individual's presence until such time as the individual (s) leave the property or arrival of the

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police. The staff member should engage the individual to determine whether the individual has appropriate business with the church and can be directed to someone who may further assist the individual.

If police have been summoned the senior church staff member will provide

information to the first responders. An incident report should be filled out by the senior staff member using the form found in the Appendix and attached to the binder containing this manual.

When the church receives information about incidents or activity in the area that may

require locking the facility, the Business Manager, ministerial staff should be notified immediately. B. Active Threat

Below are suggestions for approaching an active threat situation. Please note,

however, that it would be difficult to predict exactly how church members and visitors in each room should react under such a scenario.

1. Profile of an Active Threat

An Active Threat is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active threats use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.

Active threat situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims.

Because active threat situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law

enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active threat situation.

2. Coping With An Active Threat Situation

• Be aware of your environment and any possible dangers

• Take note of the two nearest exits in any facility you visit

• If you are in an office, stay there and secure the door

• If you are in a hallway, get into a room and secure the door

• As a last resort, attempt to take the active threat down. When the threat is

at close range and you cannot flee, your chance of survival is much

greater if you try to incapacitate him/her.

• CALL 911 WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO!

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3. How To Respond When An Active Threat Is In Your Vicinity

Quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life. Remember that church members and visitors are likely to follow the lead of employees and managers during an active threat situation.

i. Evacuate. If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to:

• Have an escape route and plan in mind when danger is believed

present • Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow • Leave your belongings behind • Help others escape, if possible • Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active threat may

be • Keep your hands visible when exiting building • Follow the instructions of any police officers • Do not attempt to move wounded people • Call 911 and any of the other emergency numbers found on page

two of this document when you are safe

ii. Hide Out. If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active threat is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should:

• Be out of the active threat’s view • Provide protection if the threat is in your direction (i.e., an office with a

closed and locked door) • Not trap you or restrict your options for movement

To prevent an active threat from entering your hiding place:

• Lock the door • Blockade the door with heavy furniture

If the active threat is nearby:

• Lock the door • Silence your cell phone and/or pager • Turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions) • Hide behind large items (i.e., cabinets, desks) • Remain quiet

If evacuation and hiding out are not possible:

• Remain calm • Dial 911, if possible, to alert police to the active threat’s location • If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to

listen

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iii. Take action against the active threat. As a last resort, and only when

your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active threat by:

• Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her • Throwing items and improvising weapons • Yelling • Committing to your actions

4. How To Respond When Law Enforcement Arrives

Law enforcement’s purpose is to stop the active threat as soon as possible. Officers

will proceed directly to the last area of the active threat.

• Officers may arrive in teams of four (4) • Officers may wear regular patrol uniforms or external bulletproof vests,

Kevlar helmets, and other tactical equipment • Officers may be armed with rifles, shotguns, handguns • Officers may use pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation • Officers may shout commands, and may push individuals to the ground

for their safety

How to react when law enforcement arrives:

• Remain calm, and follow officers’ instructions • Put down any items in your hands (i.e., bags, jackets) • Immediately raise hands and spread fingers • Keep hands visible at all times • Avoid making quick movements toward officers such as holding on to

them for safety • Avoid pointing, screaming and/or yelling • Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when evacuating, just

proceed in the direction from which officers are entering the premises

Information to provide to law enforcement or 911 operators:

• Location of the active threat • Number of threats, if more than one • Physical description of the active threat(s) • Number and type of weapons held by the threat/s • Number of potential victims at the location

The first officers to arrive to the scene will not stop to help injured persons. Expect

rescue teams comprised of additional officers and emergency medical personnel to follow the initial officers. These rescue teams will treat and remove any injured persons. They may also call upon able-bodied individuals to assist in removing the wounded from the premises.

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Once you have reached a safe location or an assembly point, you will likely be held in that area by law enforcement until the situation is under control, and all witnesses have been identified and questioned. Do not leave until law enforcement authorities have instructed you to do so.

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Appendix

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PLAN KEY

1. SANCTUARY & BETTY BRUNER BUILDING 2. DUBOSE CHILDREN'S BUILDING 3. DUNN SMITH LEISURE MINISTRIES BUILDING 4. KNOX EDUCATION BUILDING 5. STORAGE 6. PARKING 7. PRIVATELY OWNED RESIDENCE

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BETTY BRUNER BUILDING – FIRST FLOOR

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BETTY BRUNER BUILDING – SECOND FLOOR

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BETTY BRUNER BUILDING – BASEMENT

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DUBOSE BUILDING – FIRST FLOOR

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DUBOSE BUILDING – SECOND FLOOR

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LMC BUILDING – FIRST FLOOR

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LMC BUILDING – SECOND FLOOR

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KNOX EDUCATION BUILDING – FIRST FLOOR

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KNOX EDUCATION BUILDING – SECOND FLOOR

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KNOX EDUCATION BUILDING – BASEMENT

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Annual Fire / Tornado / Intruder Drill Reporting Form

Location (Check): Sanctuary_______ Date of Drill: ______Time Conducted: ________ Conducted By: _______________________ Type of Drill (Discussion): _________ Remarks (Conditions, Problems Encountered) _____________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Weekday Campus Buildings ___Date of Drill: ______Time Conducted: ________ Conducted By: _______________________ Type of Drill: (Walk Thru) _________ Coordinated with Preschool/Kindergarten: ________________________________ Remarks (Conditions, Problems Encountered) _____________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Sunday AM: _______ Date of Drill: ______Time Conducted: ________ Conducted By: _______________________ Type of Drill (Discussion): _________ Remarks (Conditions, Problems Encountered) ____________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Night Time ___________ Date of Drill: ______Time Conducted: _______ Conducted By: _______________________ Type of Drill (Discussion): _________ Remarks (Conditions, Problems Encountered) ____________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Fire Dept, Notified: ___ Exit Signs Checked: ___Emergency lights Checked: _____ Drill will include identifying to audience the nearest locations of pull downs, emergency aid stations, fire extinguishers, primary and secondary exit routes. Procedures for addressing fire, tornados, medical, and intruder situations may be expanded depending on local circumstances. Reviewed by: _________________________________

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Incident/Injury Report

Incident__________ Injury__________ Other___________ Location on Church Property (Bldg/ Playground) _______________________________ Time, Date ____________________________________________________________ Person(s) Involved (injured, assistance rendered, staff involved) __________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Were police or other law enforcement officials notified: __________________________ Type of Incident (injury, confrontational) ______________________________________ Outside assistance rendered (police, fireman, other) ____________________________ Disposition of Activity ____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Signature of Individual reporting the Incident: _________________________________ Reviewed by: __________________________________________________________

Shandon United Methodist Church Emergency … Security Plan Oct 2016 rev.pdf · Shandon United...

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