EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & PROCEDURES

THE BASICS 

What to do during a Non-Fire Related Incident/Emergency

• Listen for instructions from the Fire & Life Safety/EAP Director (FS/EAPD) via the PA System.
• The FS/EAPD is trained and knowledgeable of the building, and is capable of making the necessary and proper decisions in the event of an emergency.
   

If the decision is to Shelter in Place:

• Remain inside the building and stay at your work location. Listen for announcements from the Fire & Life Safety Director.
  (NOTE: There are circumstances where staying put and creating a physical barrier between occupants and Potentially contaminated air outside can be a matter of survival.)

If the decision is for In-Building Relocation:

• Relocate within the building to a safe area, away from windows if possible, which best ensures the safety of all occupants; Areas have been pre-designed in the building’s Emergency Action Plan.
  (NOTE: This in-building relocation area may be on your floor or a location above or below your floor.)
• If the relocation area is on a different floor, use designated unaffected stairs, unless otherwise directed by the FS/EAPD, or authorities.
• DO NOT remain in stairs, move onto the relocation floor and have the FS/EAP Floor Warden contact the Fire Command Station via the RED Warden Phone.
• Remain on floor until otherwise notified.

If the decision is made for Partial Evacuation:

• Use designated unaffected stairs, unless directed to take elevators by FS/EAPD or authorities.
• Evacuate to the exterior of building and report to the:
  • Primary Assembly Location: (West 43rd Street between Broadway & Sixth Avenue).
  • Secondary Assembly Location: (Broadway between 45th Street & 46th Streets).

If the decision is made for Full Building Evacuation:

• Use the designated unaffected stairs, unless directed to take elevators by the FS/EAPD or authorities.
• Evacuate to exterior of building and report to the Primary Assembly Location.

Stairwell Safety Instructions:

• Move quickly, but do not run.
• Go to the designated stairwell or exit.
• Remove high heels to prevent injuries (carry them).
• Stay to the right while walking down stairs- allow to room for others to enter, while not impeding egress.
• Treat injuries in the stairwell, at the nearest floor landing, when required, if practical.
• Complete the evacuation; do not congregate in the stairwell.
• Report to the Primary Assembly Location- accountability is very important.

HIGH-RISE FIRE SAFETY

What to do if you see Fire and/or Smoke on your floor:

Close: The door to confine fire and smoke, if able to without doing harm to yourself.

Activate: The Fire Alarm by pulling the nearest Manual Pull Station (usually located by fire exit door/stairwell on your floor. If you cannot pull the alarm, call the Fire Department by dialing 911.

Communicate: With the Fire Warden Team, co-workers and other tenants on your floor and with Fire Safety Director, via the (Red) Fire Warden Phone located by egress stairwell.

Safe Escape: Stay calm, do not panic. Stay low in smoke conditions. “Marry the wall” - Use hand to find wall. Walls lead to doors, doors lead to stairwells.
(NOTE: It is not recommended to evacuate to the street from the upper floors of high-rise buildings. Three (3) floors below the fire floor is sufficient.)

What to do if you hear the fire alarm but there is no smoke or fire on your floor:

• Stand by for voice announcement from your Fire Safety Director via the building’s PA System. Evacuation may NOT be necessary.
• Fire Warden Team should investigate to ensure there is no fire or smoke on your floor. If no voice announcement is made within a few minutes, Fire Warden Team should contact the Fire Command Station via the (Red) Fire Warden Phone. However, in no event will evacuation be delayed If instructions from the Fire Command Station are not forthcoming.

All persons should be familiar with the following:

• Location of all fire exits and re-entry floors.
• The Fire Warden Team on your floor.
• The Building’s fire safety features (manual pull stations, fire warden phone, alarm tone, inquiry tone).

SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES

Can be fluid based on the threat and may NOT have to followed in any specific order! Remember: ABC

Avoid (Run/Evacuate)

• Evacuate the building immediately if it can be done in a safe manner.
• Do NOT carry any personal belongings with you and avoid elevators/escalators, if possible.
• If you are located in a high-rise building and the shooter is below, ascend as many floors as possible. Once in a safe area is reached, secure the location and move away from the entranceway to a more secure location. If the shooter is above you, move down and out of the building.
• When evacuating in a stairwell, stay pressed to the wall to allow responding officers room to ascend quickly and safely.
• Keep hands open and empty above your head. Call 911 when you are safe.

Barricade (Hide)

• If it is possible to do so safely, move to a central and secure area of the building.
• Locate an area with ballistic cover, not just visual concealment. Cover stops/slows bullets, Concealment does not. Think BIG-vending machines, copy machines, etc.
• Block the door with large, heavy objects to make entry difficult as possible. Desks, filing cabinets, etc.
• If the only means available to barricade to the door is your body, attempt to stay lower than average waist level to avoid any shot fired through the door by the shooter.
• Remain quiet, silence your cell phone.

Confront (Fight)

• If avoiding or barricading is impossible, remain quiet or “play dead” to avoid detection.
• Attempt to quickly overpower the individual with force in the most violent manner possible.
• Act aggressively, throw items and improvise weapons (chairs, sharp objects, etc.)
• If you are with other people you should work as a collective group to overpower the shooter,
• Remember, the attacker will continue to shoot victims unless he is stopped.

REMEMBER PREVENTION IS ALWAYS BEST.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS, SAY SOMETHING!