What is it?

What do I do?

What do I need?

How am I notified?

Additional Information

Shelter in Place Video

What is it?

Shelter In Place is a safety procedure designed to help protect you and your family during a serious airborne hazardous material emergency. It means taking shelter inside the building you work in until the danger has passed. 

The goal of Shelter In Place is to prevent contaminated outside air from entering your home or other shelter for the duration of the incident. Incidents usually last a few hours, not days or weeks. There is little danger anyone will run out of oxygen during this procedure. 

Before an emergency happens, develop a business emergency plan to help plan for a hazardous material emergency or other disaster. Determine how you will handle phone calls to and from the business during an event because non-emergency phone use should be limited. 

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What do I do?

If you are told to Shelter In Place by local authorities, please take the following safety actions:

· Close the business. If there are visitors in the building, ask them to Shelter In Place with you.

· Close and lock all windows, exterior doors and other openings to the outside.

· Have designated maintenance personnel turn off all air conditioners, fans and heating systems, etc. that draw in outside air.

· Close the fireplace damper if your work place has one.

· Get your Disaster Supply Kit and make sure your radio is working.

· Direct all employees to an interior room or the space designated by your local department. You may need several rooms to accommodate all your employees. Large storage closets, utility rooms, pantries, copy and conference rooms can work if they don’t have too many windows.

· Use duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal windows, doors, vents, outlets, etc. Wet towels can also be used if you do not have plastic.

· Stay inside this room and listen to your radio or television until local authorities tell you the emergency is over OR you are told to evacuate.

· When local authorities announce the end of the emergency, ventilate the building by opening doors and windows. Go outside until it is aired out. 

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What do I need?

You are encouraged to prepare a Disaster Supply Kit with emergency supplies that will last at least three days. The kit should be stored in a box or duffel bag in the room in which you plan to Shelter In Place.

At a minimum, the kit should contain the following items:

• Battery-operated radio and extra batteries

• NOAA weather radio

• Water (1 gallon/person/day) and ready-to-eat food

• First aid kit

• Flashlight and extra batteries

• Thick plastic sheeting (i.e., plastic drop cloths, window sealing plastic)

• Duct tape (i.e., high-quality duct tape or polypropylene tape)

• Scissors

• Towels

• Hygiene items (i.e., plastic bucket with tight lid, garbage bags)

• Specialty items (i.e., medication, books, games). 

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How am I notified?

You will be notified of a serious hazardous material emergency by one or more of the following methods:

· Television or radio

· NOAA weather radio*

· Outdoor warning sirens

· Door-to-door notification

Public address systems on vehicles.

*If you are a Sweetwater County resident, you can be notified by your weather radio. Make sure your weather radio is on at all times. 

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Additional Information

In the event of a disaster in Sweetwater County:

Media:

Radio:    KRKK 1360 AM               KUGR 1490 AM

             KQSW 96.5 FM               KYCS 95.1 FM

             KSIT 104.5 FM                KFRZ 92.1 FM

             KZWB 97.9 FM

Sweetwater Cable: Channels 6 and 13

NOAA Weather Radio: 162.550 mhz

Emergency Numbers:

24 Hours Emergency ~ 911

Sheriff Dispatch ~ 352-6720 or 872-6350

Rock Springs Police ~ 352-1575

Green River Police ~ 872-0555

WY Highway Patrol ~ 1-800-442-9090

For more information on Shelter In Place or hazardous material emergencies, please contact:

Websites:

Federal Emergency Management Agency              www.fema.gov/areyouready

U.S. Department of Homeland Security                 www.ready.gov

American Red Cross                                           www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared