It is important to remember that an emergency can take place anyplace and at any time. The “Get Emergency Ready at Work” preparedness guide addresses the most common emergency situations, including procedures for fire alarms, lockdowns, active attackers, medical emergency and upon receipt of suspicious packages or threatening communications. While this guide could not possibly address every emergency situation that could occur, it does provide response procedures that can accommodate various situations, such as those listed above. It does not replace existing Emergency Plans and Procedures, including Fire Safety Plans, but rather works in conjunction with these documents.
This guide was prepared in cooperation with the City of Toronto Corporate Security, City of Toronto Office of Emergency Management, Toronto Fire Services and the Toronto Police Service.
Your Work Emergency Kit
An emergency can happen at any place and time, while you’re at home and even when you’re at work. If you were required to shelter in place or evacuate from your current location, would you be ready? Here are some things to consider when thinking about being prepared at work.
You may want to make sure you have the following supplies handy at work if you are faced with an emergency situation. For example, you could keep a knapsack or an easy-to-carry bag close by with some of these items (making sure you replenish them before expiry dates).
Keep a pair of comfortable walking shoes at your desk.
Walking home in your heels isn’t fun.
Carry some emergency cash
ATMs might not work during emergencies. You will need cash for necessities.
Meeting places for family.
Communication modes (cell phones may not work. Have a designated spot to meet.
Food
Emergency Food Bars
High Energy, No Prep/Low Prep Foods (Jerky, Granola Bars, Cocoa/Soup Packets)
Clothing
Clothing and Gear for all seasons
Coat, Hat, Gloves, Boots
Umbrella
Hand Warmers
Change of Clothing (Socks, extra sweater)
Comfortable Walking Shoes
Light Source
Flashlight
Extra Batteries
Non-Battery Flashlight
Glow Sticks
Flare Gun for car
Communication
Extra Mobile Charger
Signal Whistle
Pencil & Notebook
Emergency Multi-Powered Radio (e.g. hand crank, shake, etc.)
Personal Items
Time Passers, Cards, Book, Game
Extra medications
Important Papers & Money – most of these you can store on your mobile device
Emergency & Non-Emergency Numbers
Emergency Family Contacts: Phone, Address & E-mail
Contacts at:
Home
Work
School
Day Care
Out of Area
Out of Province
Current Copies of Family Photos & Identification Cards
Personal Medical Information such as:
Medical Providers
List of Medications
Special Medical Equipment
Medical Conditions
Vaccinations
Blood Type
Allergies & Sensitivities
Health Insurance
Emergency Cash
Fire Alarm Procedures
If you discover fire
Alert others in your immediate area
Leave the fire area, closing all doors behind you
Activate the building alarm system, using the nearest fire alarm pull station
Call 911
Fire alarm systems
Most facilities employ a single-stage fire alarm with some larger facilities utilizing a two-stage fire alarm system. With a single-stage fire alarm, all building occupants must evacuate upon activation of the fire alarm. With a two-stage fire alarm system, the affected floors would receive an evacuation alarm, while the remainder of the facility will need to prepare
to evacuate.
In the event of a fire alarm
Fire safety plans are unique and specific to every building. Employees should be familiar with
the fire safety plan for their work place and trained in building evacuation procedures. Fire
safety plans should be posted in a common area and readily available.
Single-stage alarm system
Evacuate immediately if you hear an alarm
Follow the directions of the fire wardens and building security staff
Do not use the elevators
Evacuate to the pre-determined assembly areas, well away from the building
Two-stage fire alarm system
In a Stage One alarm, prepare to evacuate
In a Stage Two alarm, immediately evacuate using the nearest exit
Listen to the announcements transmitted over the building’s public address system
Follow the directions of the fire wardens and building security staff
Do not use the elevators
Evacuate to the pre-determined assembly areas, well away from the building
Medical Emergencies
In the event of a medical emergency
Immediately call 911 and provide the emergency medical dispatcher with:
Your name and telephone number
The building name and address
The floor you are located on and your location on the floor
The nature of the emergency and any details available
Ensure scene is safe and provide first aid based on your level of training:
Tell patient that help is on the way
Stay with patient until help arrives
Call security as soon as possible – if they are onsite, they may:
Attend the scene with a first aid kit and/or an automatic external defibrillator and provide
first aid medical treatment
Update 911 on the patient’s condition and the exact location where emergency medical
services personnel should attend
Have a co-worker greet the emergency personnel and escort them to the patient’s
location quickly
Lockdown Situations
There are three basic types of lockdown situations:
Shelter in place
Hold and secure
Full lockdown
Shelter in Place
This type of lockdown situation is normally referred to when an environmental threat is
present outside and it is not possible or advisable to evacuate the facility. This type of action is normally in response to an air contaminant and involves keeping the air contaminates outside the building and keeping persons from unnecessarily putting themselves in medical danger.
Example – gas leak or chemical spill outside of the facility.
What to do – if it’s safe to:
Listen to instructions from emergency responders or building security staff
Proceed inside the building (if not already inside)
Close and secure exterior doors
Close windows
Turn off heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems
Encourage people to remain inside the building until the threat has passed
Hold and Secure
This type of lockdown situation is used when a serious environmental/physical threat is present outside of the facility or in the neighbourhood and prevention measures need to be enacted to protect individual(s) from leaving the facility and entering into an area of danger, or prevent the threat from entering the facility.
Example – active shooter in an area near the facility.
What to do – if it’s safe to:
Listen to instructions from emergency responders or building security staff
Proceed inside the building (if not already inside)
Close and secure exterior doors
Close windows and blinds
Turn off lights
Keep away from exterior doors and windows
Encourage people to remain inside the building until the threat has passed
Full Lockdown
This type of lockdown situation is used when the physical threat is already in the facility and
measures need to be enacted to prevent the threat from accessing areas where potential victims
are or may be, or to protect individuals from entering areas where the threat may be present.
Example – active shooter inside the facility.
What to do – if it’s safe to:
Listen to instructions from emergency responders or building security staff
Move to a safe area
Close and secure doors and windows
Barricade doors with furniture or wedges if unable to secure
Turn off lights
Keep away from doors and windows
Silence cell phones
Remain silent
Lay on the floor if gunshots are heard
Call 911 if it is safe to do so and if you have information such as location of attacker
DO NOT open the door for anyone – police and security staff will have a key and announce
their entry
Remain in the lockdown response until police or security staff release you
If a fire alarm should sound during a full lockdown situation, do not automatically evacuate unless you smell smoke. Security or building management staff will likely give instructions through the building’s public address system
Threatening Communication
General
Threatening communication is any form of communication that is intended to manipulate,
control, hurt, and/or intimidate in order to cause a change in the target’s (victim’s) behaviour.
Threatening communication can be sent in a number of ways such as mail, email, social media,
telephone, voicemail, etc.
Upon receipt of threatening communication
Treat all threats seriously
Immediately contact security staff
If the communication is deemed to be threatening, you will be requested to also report the incident to the Toronto Police Service
If the communication is received in writing:
Limit handling of the letter
Keep the envelope
Do not time stamp or write on the letter
Contact security staff
If the communication is received over email, do not forward the email to others.
If the communication or photos is received over social media:
Take screen shots of the threats
Note the date and time received
Note any other details about the threat that you can perceive (location, device being used, user handle names, etc.)
Do not respond or engage with the user
Contact security staff
If the communication is received over the phone or voicemail:
Note the date, time and phone number
Write down what was said in detail
Do not argue with the caller
Do not transfer the call
Do not make any further calls from the extension that the call was received on
Upon completion of the call, immediately move to a different phone and report the details of the incident by calling security staff
Any threats of self-harm or harm to others or the environment should be reported as soon as possible to your local police service. Use the non-emergency number but use
your own discretion (and/or discuss with a supervisor) whether the threat is serious or
urgent enough to call 911.
Suspicious Packages
General
A suspicious package is a package or envelope found or received by mail, courier or delivered in person, which arouses the suspicion of the receiver because of suspicious indicators such as
construction and/or marking characteristics.
A suspicious package may be incorrectly addressed or poorly wrapped, or it may be a hoax (made to look like a device). Suspicious packages may indeed contain dangerous materials such as an explosive device, some type of blade or a chemical or biological agent.
Each type of suspicious package poses separate difficulties.
Upon receipt of a package or envelope, the handler should first look for any indicators which may lead them to believe the package contains a threat.
If you determine a package to be suspicious:
DO NOT touch, open, smell, shake or move it
DO NOT carry the package to show others or allow others to examine it
DO NOT use radios or mobile phones in vicinity of suspicious packages
Immediately notify police by calling 911
Immediately notify security staff
Immediately notify your supervisor/manager and fire warden
Have building operations shut down the HVAC system
Have remaining building employees search their individual areas for suspicious packages
Evacuate area once exit routes are determined safe
If the suspicious package was found:
Attempt to establish ownership of the package by asking others around if it is theirs, did anyone see it placed there and if so by who, etc.
Check for secondary suspicious packages in area and on routes leading away from the area in which the original package was found
Once determined safe, evacuate surrounding area
If you come into contact with a leaked product:
In addition to the above procedures,
Isolate yourself from others – leave the room or area
Remove all clothing and place in a sealed plastic bag or container
Flush your eyes with lots of water
Decontaminate yourself using soap and water
Change into uncontaminated clothes (clothing stored in drawers or closets is likely to be uncontaminated)
Follow directions of emergency response personnel
Active Attacker
General
An “active attacker” is an individual who is engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.
Response actions
When an active attacker is in your vicinity, you must immediately react. It is critically important to prepare yourself, mentally and physically, to deal with the situation.
Your first action should always be to RUN
If getting away from the active attacker is not possible, HIDE
If you can’t run, and it isn’t possible to hide, or if you are found, FIGHT
Run
If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to get away from the active attacker. Be sure to:
Have an escape route and plan in mind
Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow
Leave your belongings behind
Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active attacker may be
Keep your hands visible to any emergency response personnel
Call 911 when you are safe
Hide
If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active attacker is not likely to find you. Ideally, your hiding place should:
Be out of the active attacker’s view
Be in a room with a lockable door or one that can be secured with furniture and/or wedges
Have heavy furniture such as cabinets and desks that you can use to block the door and hide behind
Have no sources of noise (silence phones, TV, radio, etc.)
Fight
If evacuation or hiding out is not possible, as a last resort, you should attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active attacker by:
Acting as aggressively as possible against them
Throwing items and improvising weapons
Yelling
Committing to your actions
Police response
When the police arrive:
Remain calm and follow instructions
Drop any items in your hands such as bags, jackets, etc.
Raise your hands and spread your fingers
Avoid quick movements towards the officers
Avoid pointing, screaming or yelling
Do not ask questions when evacuating
Run/Hide/Fight is used with permission from the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Public and Homeland Security.
Bomb Threats
General
Bomb threats can be delivered in a number of ways including over the phone, through email,
in writing, etc. Bomb threats are designed to disrupt the normal flow of business by creating an atmosphere of anxiety or panic. While the probability of receiving a warning where an explosive device has been placed is quite low, it is important that all threats be treated seriously. Evacuations and/or detailed searches do not automatically occur for all bomb threats. The decisions on actions that are taken is specific to each threat.
In the event of a bomb threat
If you receive a threat by phone, email or mail:
Immediately contact security staff
Do not delete any email messages
Limit handling of a written threat
Call 911
If you receive a phone threat:
Remain calm and ask the caller the following questions:
What time will the bomb explode?
Where is it?
What does it look like?
Where are you calling from?
Why did you place the bomb?
What is your name?
Write down as much information as possible including: the time, telephone number, exact words used, identifying characteristics of the caller, etc.
Immediately contact the police through 911
Immediately contact security staff
Follow the instructions given by security staff and the police
