Center for Food Animal Health
EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURES
The following information is provided to assist CFAH personnel in reacting to emergency situations.
1. Reporting of Emergencies and Alarms:
1.1 Emergency response for all fire, public safety, and health emergencies will be initiated by calling 911 and giving the type of emergency, building location, and room number. No calls = No Response Force
2. In case of fire--Building Evacuation Plan:
2.1 In the event of a fire---Pull the fire alarm
2.1.1 Make yourself aware of where the fire alarms are located in the CFAH building-fire alarm locations are indicated on a CFAH building map on the safety bulletin board located in the mailroom.
2.2 Call 911--give location of the fire--including building name, street address, and room number.
2.2.1 For example-call 911, “Fire at the Center for Food Animal Health, corner of Secrest Road and Ferguson Drive, room #110.
2.3 Evacuation is recognized by the sounding of the emergency evacuation fire alarm bell continuously sounding for several minutes.
2.4 All personnel are expected to promptly respond to the emergency evacuation alarm and to follow the emergency evacuation plan.
2.5 Unless unusual conditions dictate otherwise, the best evacuation route is the nearest exit. Each person should make themselves familiar with where the closest exit is at all times.
2.6 Do not stop after exiting the building but proceed well away from the building so as to be clear of the fire and also not impede the movement of firefighters and firefighting equipment.
2.6.1 All CFAH personnel should assemble in the southwest corner of the CFAH building parking lot - well away from the building (toward the Poultry Disease building). This area was chosen since the wind/smoke usually blows from the west toward the east.
2.6.2 Administration/safety officer will take with them a list (located near all departmental telephones) of departmental personnel information. A head count will be taken by administration/safety officer. If any person is missing, that name and possible location will be given to the fire department.
2.7 Disabled personnel (especially persons with physical, visual, and hearing impairments have the initial responsibility to request assistance. It is suggested that the supervisor determine, in advance, if any personnel require assistance during an emergency. Should the evacuation alarm sound, the laboratory supervisor/closest personnel should assist to move personnel with physical disabilities to the designated evacuation point. Other arrangements can include assisting a blind or visually impaired person out of the building or informing a deaf person that an alarm is sounding. Supervisors must inform emergency officials of the location(s) of the disabled personnel.
2.8 The building should not be reentered unless indicated safe by firefighters or police on the scene.
3. Tornado Warning
3.1 Tornado warning is identified by telephone, radio, weather radio notification, or by the sounding of the CFAES emergency sirens for 5 minutes followed by 1 minute of silence, repeated 4 times. If the CFAES tornado siren or office weather radio sound a tornado alarm, the department head/administration/safety officer or anyone in the office that hears such, will sound the departmental air horn (kept in the office, behind the main counter). If you hear a tornado warning notification, take cover immediately! A tornado warning indicates a tornado has been sighted by ground observers or has appeared on National Weather Service (NWS) Cleveland weather radar for Wayne County, specifically the Wooster area within close proximity of the Wooster campus and is headed toward said location.
3.2 All university personnel are expected to promptly respond to the tornado notifications or the sounding of the siren/air horn and to take the following precautions.
3.2.1 The safest area is - the central portion of the building, away from outside walls, glass windows and doors. An attached list is provided to suggest areas to go to in the event of a tornado warning. Administration will try to notify Lab Animal Facility, NIH, and Germfree of a tornado warning, but must first go to a safe place, then call.
3.2.2 Personnel should anticipate the tornado warning will extend for a significant period of time, perhaps 30 minutes or longer. A battery-operated radio tuned to any local AM or FM station will provide current information.
3.2.3 Personnel should not leave shelter until a period of at least 10 minutes has elapsed without the sounding of the sirens, or the local news media have announced an “all clear”.
3.3 Persons with disabilities should be provided assistance, if requested.
3.4 Be aware of the weather conditions before you leave for work and throughout the workday by tuning into the local radio weather channel, office/home weather radio, TV weather channel (MCTV channel 68 in the Wooster area) or the Internet weather website (www.weather.com or www. weather.gov). In the event of a tornado warning, think about where the best place in your building might be, to take cover.
In the event of a tornado warning, go to the following areas:
(these areas meet the guidelines based on the best information available on tornado safety - these are not tornado proof shelters)
CFAH building:
any inside lab (especially a small lab within the large lab)
restrooms near the office
janitor closet near the office
west pipe chase (not the chase with liquid nitrogen)
office supply room
any inside room (media prep room, autoclave room, washroom, computer room, storeroom)
Lab Animal Facility:
any inside room away from the outside wall; offices, procedure room, mouse quarantine rooms, and rabbit rooms (without animals in them)
NIH:
between the double doors leading to the animal rooms or to the center hall, overall/clean room, office/incubator room, inside center hall
Poultry Disease:
inside hallway, or the storage room under the stairs
Swine Barn:
there is no good place to go - if you have time, go to Germfree or isolation buildings, otherwise get against an inside wall and protect yourself the best you can (maybe a wedge between the freezer and the inside wall, or one of the storage rooms)
Germfree:
the office or storage room that is connected to the office
Necropsy:
there is no good place to go in necropsy - if you have time, go into isolation (west side of necropsy) or Germfree buildings; otherwise get under a countertop or table in either room and protect yourself as best you can (lots of glass windows in these two necropsy rooms), or go into cold room as last resort
Isolation:
the restrooms or inside hallway
Areas to avoid in the event of a tornado warning are:
outside offices or rooms (many have glass windows and doors)
large, unsupported roof structures (such as the mechanical room)
east pipe chase containing the CO₂ and liquid N₂ tanks
lab rooms containing dangerous chemicals
Wherever you go, try to get under a desk, or supported structure to escape falling debris!
Revised by: C. Patterson 5/23