Emergency response in office buildings

By Joseph L. Giacalone, The Klaxon

Emergency managers plan and prepare for hazards every day based on risk analysis and historical factors. These plans cover all hazards except fires and are designed to do three (3) things: (1) to anticipate the unknown, (2) provide a plan of action and (3) be able to return the organization to normal operations in a timely fashion.

Under the emergency action plan, an emergency is any of the following: chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosion, suspicious packages, natural disasters, blackouts, building collapse and workplace violence.

Each one of these emergencies has an equal chance of occurring in an office building environment. Therefore, emergency managers must be prepared for any of them.

All hazard plans, or emergency action plans, are required by law in many (if not all) jurisdictions and must cover response protocols.

Training also is required by law and includes staff and occupants. For instance, in New York City, buildings that are required to have an emergency action plan must conduct training and drills every year once the Fire Department of New York has accepted the plan. The question always comes down to who should do the training—an insider or an outside vendor.

There are pros and cons of each; however, in my experience, when using a vendor, the participants tend to be more receptive.

Response training always starts with the basics. In an office-building environment, emergency response is as easy as PIES:

- Partial Evacuation

- In-building Relocation

- Evacuation

- Shelter in Place

Partial Evacuation
A partial evacuation is just what it sounds like, only a specific area or floor(s) will be evacuated. Generally, it is the room or area that is affected—as well as the floors above and below—depending on the type of incident.

The occupants that are at the most risk of harm will be evacuated first, but emergency managers must be aware of contamination issues. Within the plan, emergency managers must know what to do with victims that are contaminated without placing everyone else at risk, including first responders.

In-building Relocation
An in-building relocation occurs when occupants are asked to move from their workspaces and into a more secured area.

This area is a pre-designated area that offers protection away from windows. For example, a suspicious package has been discovered a few doors down and the police are on the scene.

If the device detonates, windows may be blown out for blocks, so it is safer for the occupants to be tucked away inside of the core of the building which offers more protection.

Evacuation
The decision to evacuate the entire building is a decision reserved for senior-level management with a clear chain of command, unless directed to do so by first responders.

The call for evacuation may also come from a fire marshal or building inspector. If the emergency manager conducted the mandated training sessions, the building evacuation should be less disorganized, chaotic and fearful.

Unless specifically told by the fire department, all occupants should be directed to the nearest staircase. All occupants should be reminded that the roof is not a designated exit.

The response at the fire in Macy’s Herald Square in New York City Dec. 20, started off as a partial evacuation of the building and quickly turned into an evacuation of the entire store.

Emergency managers have to be prepared to switch from one type of response to another.

Fires in commercial establishments, such as the one at Macy’s, present another serious problem for emergency managers – customers are not prepared to deal with emergencies.

Shelter in Place
Sheltering in place requires occupants to stay at their desks and await further instructions because something outside is dangerous – there is contamination in the air or some sort of release that may prove harmful if inhaled.

Occupants should be instructed to close the blinds and pull down any shades. The individual responsible for the operation of the HVAC system will shut it down.

Sheltering in place, however, may cause a problem for some occupants. The emergency manager cannot stop someone if that person wants to leave, but they can prevent them from returning.

Occupants must be told that if you leave, you will not be allowed back in because of the risk of contamination to others.

Emergency managers must stay current on response protocols and the hazards that may affect them.

Testing and training of the plan is of paramount importance. Training occupants on what to do in an emergency will save lives; but, unfortunately training is time consuming and costly.

Training and exercises will reduce disorganization and, therefore, reduce injuries, property damage and death.

This is where the emergency manager must step in and convince management that proper training is a necessity in dealing with everyday hazards that may take place in the office building setting.

Remember, it is better to mitigate than to litigate.