Columbia Southern University | Emergency Management Plan | Chemical Spill/Release | | Erik Gohl | 11/7/2011 |
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Purpose
Events which interfere with the normal operations of Hennepin Technical College (HTC) are unavoidable. The purpose of this document is to explain the actions, roles, and responsibilities that are to be taken by individuals and departments in the event of a spill or release of a hazardous chemical or waste. (Homeland Security, 2011)
Emergency Management Team
The Emergency Management Team (EMT) shall consist of the following individuals:
College President
College Vice President(s)
College Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Officer
Director of Security
Maintenance Supervisor
Administrator
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Once the decision to evacuate has been made, the AOD will contact the maintenance department, assign radios, and make the public address announcement. Additionally, the AOD will direct someone to call 9-911 to initiate assistance from the local emergency response groups like the fire department, special rescue team, law enforcement, and emergency medical services. All counselors and administrator shall report to the front desk with their radios to receive assignments from the AOD. Faculty and staff will respond by calmly leaving the classroom or lab area, taking with them any unsecured potential source of student information (laptop computer, attendance record, class list). As the last student leaves the area, close and lock the door to increase security and provide assurance the area has been evacuated. Using the evacuation routes posted in each room the Supervisor/Instructor, will lead the group under their control to the appropriate rally point outside the building (see “Map of Evacuation Rally Points and Associated Building Areas”). They will remain at their rally point until receiving further instructions from the AOD. Roll call should be performed at the rally point by each supervisor and instructor to determine if their group is accounted for. Any missing persons must
If there is a chemical spill, notify your instructor immediately to prevent any further damage.
What is the evacuation procedure on this site in the event of an emergency?, please state exactly what do you have to do.
The Emergency Response Plan was revised with newly created position of Director of Emergency Management as well as department, incorporation of emergency support functions and newly added emergency notification system protocols (VT, 2010). Modifications was made to the University-wide Safety and Security Policies. Major changes was made to the umbrella safety and security policy which was renamed from the Campus Security to University Safety and Security which provides oversight and coordination for all campus policies and committees responsible for safety and physical security (VT, 2010).
When there is a lockdown on campus the website states that students should lock and barricade the door, turn the light off, and keep silent in order to not attract the oncoming danger. It then states, that students should warn one another if possible. If worse comes to worse, students should fight to defend themselves as a last resort. Finally, students should wait for the school official notice before resuming their regular daily activities. The web page also gives almost the exact same steps for almost all possible issues, with the exceptions of evacuation. During evacuations, students should leave the building, take any valuables, and go to a designated safe zone or as far away from the threat as
Each member should only communicate approved messages. The primary group of participants that should be informed about the crisis are internal stakeholders, such as students, faculty, staff, and trustees. Secondary groups would include parents, alumni, elected officials, and the media. The following lists these groups in notification priority and the specific person responsible for crisis communication:
Public safety is one of the main concerns for the community. The concern is that the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has not done enough to clean up the site.
This external stakeholder is critical to the area is this Commission is the regulatory body for the development, storage and transportation of all hazardous chemicals throughout Texas. More specifically, the RRC has specific oversight over the oil and gas industry. How this external stakeholder sees its importance to a regionalized organization such as the HSEM, is the potential risk regarding the transmission of hazardous materials such as oil and gas. The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is home to several refineries, oil storage farms, petrochemical plants, and has a large industrial complex which utilizes hazardous materials. This point is raised with the intent to encourage participation by a state regulatory body all the while this agency is represented in Texas’s state emergency management plan. Simply stated if the with the footprint of such a significant industry, the regulatory body needs to be an active stakeholder in the planning process. This point is reinforced via United States Senate Bill 546, 114 Congress “Response Act” (2016); the Texas RRC will support emergency management preparation regarding the transmission of hazardous
Just east of Butte, Montana is a huge lake filled with toxic chemicals. Samples taken in 2011 had a pH measuring around 2.5, meaning the water was comparable to gastric acid (PitWatch, 2013). This lake, known as the Berkeley Pit Lake, was formed by open pit mining in the 1950s. Originally, the mine was built by the Atlantic-Richfield Corporation to meet the global demands for copper post World War II. Copper prices tanked in 1982, so the mine was shut down and pumps removing water were deactivated. The company left behind a pit encompassing an area of approximately one square mile and reaching a depth of 1780 feet. Berkeley Pit soon flooded and began to collect hazardous levels of heavy metals.
In case the nature of the emergency calls for immediate evacuation, student should perform an intense, but hastily, examination for nearby openings or escape points. Most often, windows come in handy. Making sure that there are no zombies in the vicinity before one proceeds. Nevertheless, in the case where the widows are exceedingly high above the landing ground level, one is totally disabused from the notions of attempting jumps.
Unfortunately, I have not had any HazMat incidents in my community but, I recall a HazMat incident out of my home town in which I responded as part of mutual aid request to assist a neighboring paramedic EMS agency on November 30, 2012. This incident is identified on the incident report data sheet which involved a rail accident carrying vinyl chloride (PMHSA, n.d.). During the response to the scene, I recall receiving updates notifying EMS agencies to stage away at an abandoned shopping center, due to a release of the chemical into the atmosphere. At the time the agent was not identified so the uncertainty of potential exposure, number of patients, decontamination and treatment along with the cause of the train derailment added some anxiety.
The disposal of hazardous material is something that many waste management organization are well educated on when conducting every day operations. However, in the even the the Mercury Recovery Facility in which created a Federal Clean-Up site, initiated an multitude of issues that not only impacted the enviorment but also the people that lived in the surrounding areas. Though, there were many issues that caused these issues to happed due to weathering of materials and chemicals over time. The biggest mistake was the lack of accountability of personell as well as the dumping that was taking place at this site. Not only calling for federal relief, but also gaining social attention from the media as well as scientific professionals around the world.
When the fire alarm sounds, the doors will automatically close, each door has 30 minutes to burn before it takes effect. Once the fire is allocated 999 will be called. In my service we have a fire plan and peeps (personal emergency evacuation plan), this gives information of who live where and their abilities and needs this will be read by an allocated person who will then ask members of staff to start evacuation, starting with the people we support nearest to the fire. Once the fire brigade arrive the lead person will hand over any relative information and the fire brigade will take over the role of evacuation. Staff and people we support will be evacuated to the fire call point which in my service is the main car park furthest away
The evacuation stages of alert, order and rescind are clearly define in a chart that identifies description, communication methods, content in alerts and orders with factors to consider. The appendix has templates of evacuation forms and checklists to facilitate easier execution.
An effective crisis management response plan outlines specific procedures for administrator, teachers, and students during evacuation emergencies. Administrators work with teachers, students, parents, law enforcement officers, business and community members, to develop an effective emergency and crises plan. The administrator provides leadership in developing and monitoring the school safety plan and also establishes procedures for emergency evacuation and crisis management at different stages of the plan. However, an effective leader develops a comprehensive prevention education plan, and regularly reviews the code of conduct manual for revisions and current laws.
Regular wellsprings of crises recognized in crisis activity arranges incorporate ought to incorporate - fires, blasts, surges, sea tempests, tornadoes, common unsettling influences