Shelter-in-Place

What kind of a shelter-in-place plan does your organization have? Do you have a designated location, food, water, protective masks, etc.? Will your plan cover every possible reason to shelter in place? It's probably not possible to prepare for anything that could possibly happen, but are you satisfied you're ready for the most likely possible reasons? If you have not revisited your plan lately, it may be time to do so and make updates based on current threats in the world right now.

Shelter-in-place may not actually mean staying exactly where you are. (Item #1)     Shelter in Place is designed for those situations in which it is safer for employees to remain in the building than to evacuate. (Item #2)     You can take actions to help protect emotional well-being during a shelter-in-place emergency. (Item #3)    

These links will take you to NICS documents and other information related to sheltering in place. (Item #4)     It's important for landlords to be familiar with their shelter-in-place obligations because providing shelter at a residential property requires the cooperation of employees, tenants, and any visitors who happen to be on the property at the time of the emergency. (Item #5)     There are legal issues with sheltering in place that can't be ignored. (Item #6)    

As always, I look forward to hearing about your concerns with regard to business continuity. If there are any topics that you'd like to see covered, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp



1. What Does "Shelter in Place" Really Mean?

Often, when there is an imminent threat or hazard, the public is told to "shelter in place." Sheltering in place is a precautionary routine to keep you as safe as possible while indoors during an emergency event. Someone who is not well-versed in emergency preparedness, however, may interpret the instruction as: stay exactly where you currently are. That tactic could, in fact, put you in danger.
http://www.preparis.com/blog/what-does-shelter-in-place-really-mean/


2. Sheltering In Place: A "Best Practice" Guideline

This document serves as a guideline for implementing a life safety program that includes Sheltering in Place and is intended to incorporate currently known best practices. It should not be considered a definitive, all encompassing resource on the topic, but rather a collection of techniques that are the accepted practices for achieving maximum safety for employees.
https://www.chicagofirst.org/resources/shelter_in_place.pdf


3. Coping with Shelter-in-Place Emergencies

Sheltering in place can disrupt our routines and challenge our ability to tend to responsibilities, such as work and caring for loved ones. Understandably, we may become nervous or uncomfortable when sheltering in place. The following information can help you cope emotionally with this type of emergency.
https://www.counseling.org/docs/trauma-disaster/shelteringinplace.pdf?sfvrsn=2


4. Shelter-In-Place Information

From a model shelter-in-place plan to making rooms safer to research articles to the effectiveness of SIP, this article provides links to lots of helpful information about sheltering in place. A plan agreed to ahead of time by all employees will help insure smooth enactment of protective measures if there is a nearby chemical emergency.
http://www.nicsinfo.org/SIPcenter.asp


5. Shelter-in-Place Orders: What Must a Landlord Do?

If hazardous materials are released -- or threatened to be released -- during an emergency that may affect your property, authorities may instruct the public to "shelter-in-place." This means that everyone must immediately take refuge in a room with as few windows and as little ventilation as possible, to minimize the risk of exposure to airborne chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants. Property owners, including landlords, must cooperate by letting people take shelter at their property.
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/shelter-in-place-landlord-duties-29877.html


6. Is 'shelter in place' order legal?

During the search for Boston Marathon bomber suspects Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his 19-year-old brother, Dzhokhar, Boston and Watertown residents received the "shelter in place" message from Gov. Deval Patrick. Tamerlan was killed in a shootout. His brother escaped the dragnet. It was after the "shelter in place" order was lifted that police got their man.
http://www.sgvtribune.com/opinion/20130424/steve-scauzillo-is-shelter-in-place-order-legal


Quote of the Week:

"'Shelter in place' means to make a shelter out of the place you are in. It is a way for you to make the building as safe as possible to protect yourself until help arrives."

-- From a CDC publication

Contact Us:

Attainium Corp
15110 Gaffney Circle
Gainesville, VA 20155
www.attainium.net