Page 37 - Campus Security & Life Safety, July/August 2021

communications. Automated building emergency communications systems with pre-recorded messages and, more commonly, emergen- cy phone applications are increasingly common approaches for cam- pus organizations. However, while it may seem easy to just “push a button” in an emergency, preparing people to use these systems under extreme stress is not so easy.
One of the observations from more than 8,000 controlled, real- time, scripted, audio and video crisis simulations conducted at schools in 45 states revealed that most school staff were unable to use these systems properly when placed under even mild stress. Most commonly, staff pressed the wrong icon for the emergency scenario they were presented with. For example, when presented with a sce-
nario of an approaching tornado, school staff often pressed the icon that would trigger either a lockdown or, even worse, an emergency evacuation—either of which could result in catastrophic loss of life in an actual emergency.
By using the all-hazards approach with free assistance from local and state fire service and emergency management personnel, any campus organization can develop enhanced prevention and pre- paredness approaches for hazardous materials risks. This approach can help prevent common pitfalls such as those discussed here.
Michael Dorn is an expert witness on campus safety work including post-incident assistance for K-12 and higher education campuses.
Important emergency procedures to address the potential for hazardous materials incidents
• Sheltering in place: This procedure involves moving people indoors, rapidly shutting down air handling systems and—if required by building features—moving people to the core of the facility or upstairs, as well as sealing doors and windows in older buildings.
• Reverse evacuation: One of the most important emergency procedures for K¬–12 schools, this procedure is designed to help staff rapidly move people from outdoor areas into a nearby facility in a severe weather event, outdoor shooting, hazardous materials incident in the community or other situation where remaining outdoors would be dangerous.
• Room clear: Another extremely important emergency procedure, the room clear is used to rapidly clear an interior space of occupants while directing them to another indoor area when evacuation of the facility would be less safe.
• Emergency communications protocol: This protocol spells out when and how personnel should communicate danger to others and summon emergency responders. Serious injuries and fatalities can occur due to assumptions that employees know how and when to warn others in the immediate and larger campus area during an emergency. Personnel calling 911 before communicating the immediate need for campus occupants to implement protective actions has increased casualties and fatalities in a number of instances.
Design features and technology that can improve preparedness for hazardous materials incidents
• Internal and external public address systems are usually faster, more precise and less prone to accidental communication of the wrong
emergency protective actions than phone applications and automated warning systems.
• One-switch emergency shutoff for air handling systems can dramatically reduce the time required to reduce airflow into a facility.
• Providing staff with multiple doors equipped with proximity access control systems for emergency reentry can significantly reduce the time required for staff, students and others to shelter inside a facility for an outdoor threat. This can be particularly important for active- shooter events, which have often included targeting people in outdoor areas.
• Software systems for tracking chemical inventories and locations.
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