Evacuation Plan

• Know your building or classroom's floor plan. Know where the doors, windows, stairs, and fire extinguishers are.
• Determine in advance the nearest exit from your work or classroom location and the route you will follow to reach that exit in an emergency. Know the locations of alternate exits from your area, or the areas you frequent on campus.
• If you are in an unfamiliar building, look for exit signs and stairwells upon entering.
• Obtain an Evacuation Map of the SCC Campus and locate in advance the pre-determined evacuation locations closest to your building.
• The majority of evacuation locations are located in the perimeter parking lots. Two (2) interior locations have been established to assist persons with disabilities that are unable to reach a perimeter evacuation site.
• If you work in an interior office, know exactly how many doors you will pass along your evacuation route before you reach the nearest exit. In heavy smoke, exit signs may be invisible. Even in heavy smoke, you can count the number of doors as you pass, so you will know when you reach the exit door.
• Do not return to the building until you have been instructed to do so by SCC Security, or Shoreline Police or Fire Departments.

• When the fire alarms sound and the strobes are activated, or upon notification by SCC Security or emergency responders, occupants must evacuate the building and assemble at the pre-determined evacuation locations.
• IF time and conditions permit, take only your most important personal items such as a purse, car keys, or glasses, and secure your workplace.
• Leave by the nearest marked exit and alert others to do the same.
• Follow instructions from SCC Security or emergency responders.
• If you open a door, check the door for heat with the back of your hand before opening it. Do not open the door if it is hot.
• Walk, do not run. Do not push or crowd.
• Keep noise to a minimum so you can hear emergency instructions.
• Use handrails in stairwells, and stay to the right.
• Watch for falling debris and glass inside and outside of building.
• Assist people with disabilities in exiting the building. Remember that elevators are reserved for people with disabilities.
• In case of fire or earthquake, do not use elevators. People with disabilities may need additional assistance during these emergencies.
• Once outside, move quickly away from the building and proceed to the closest evacuation location. You should try to be at least 500 feet away from the affected building.
• Assist people with disabilities to the closest interior evacuation location, if it is safe to do so. If this is not a safe location given the emergency, assist them to the nearest perimeter location.
• Attempt to keep existing groups and classrooms of students together. This will assist in identifying if anyone was left behind or is missing from the group.
• Keep roadways, fire lanes, and fire hydrants clear for emergency vehicles and responders.

• Evacuation of all or part of the campus will be announced by fire alarm, SCC Security or emergency responders from Shoreline Police and Fire Departments, or additional communication such as text messages or emergency emails.
• All persons (students and employees) are to evacuate immediately the area of campus in question and reassemble at the pre-determined evacuation locations on campus as directed.
• Try to remain calm and assist those that may need your assistance, as well as keeping groups together.
• Whenever possible or in small evacuations of specific locations, SCC Security will be available to assist and direct building occupants to exit stairwells and/or evacuation locations.
• Do not return to the building until Security or emergency responders instruct you to return.

• Students and staff need to advise faculty and supervisors of their needs in an emergency.
• Faculty and supervisors need to establish a "buddy" system to assist persons with disabilities.
• The Security Department is available to assist students and employees with a disability before an emergency in determining evacuation routes and assembly areas.

For persons who are unable to leave the building:

•  Assist the person to the nearest area where there are no hazards.
• Alert Security or Emergency Responders that a disabled person is waiting for rescue.
• Specify the building, room number and any additional location information. If possible, signal out the window to alert an on-site Security Officer or emergency responder.

To assist people who are blind or visually impaired:

• Announce the type of emergency that is occurring.
• Offer your assistance, or your arm for guidance.
• Tell the person where you are going, or about any obstacles you encounter.
• When you reach safety, ask if further assistance is needed.

To alert people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment:

• Turn lights on and off to gain the person's attention.
• Write a note with evacuation instructions or directions based on the emergency.

Indicate directions with gestures.

To assist people with mobility impairments to include those using wheelchairs, canes, crutches and walkers:

• Ask how to help.
• Remove obstructions.
• Some non-ambulatory persons have respiratory complications. Remove them from smoke and vapors as soon as possible.
• Accompany the person to the evacuation site.
• For persons in wheelchairs ask if they need help driving their chair.
• Do not attempt to push a power/electric chair.
• The best way to move a power chair is to use the controls in the way the person does, usually with a hand on the joy stick.
• In multi-level buildings, when elevators are off limits as in the case of fire and earthquake, assist persons with disabilities to go to the nearest exit stairwell landing. Many stairwell landings can help to provide temporary protection in fire emergencies.
• Close the door behind.
• If the person is not able to use a fire exit stairwell with assistance, an escort should remain with the disabled person at the landing to provide additional assistance.
• Alert SCC Security or emergency responders that a disabled person is waiting for rescue.
• Specify the building, floor, exit stairwell and any additional location information.
• If it is a life-threatening emergency, determine the best carry options for the person based on their input.
• Power wheelchairs are too heavy to carry down stairs.
• Reunite the person with the chair as soon as it is safe to do so.

• During certain emergency situations, particularly chemical, biological, or radioactive material releases, and some weather emergencies, you may be advised to shelter-in-place rather than evacuate the building or classroom.
• Stay inside the building (or if you are outside, go inside as quickly as possible.)
• Do not use elevators where you can become trapped.
  Quickly locate supplies you may need such as material to cover vents and door cracks food, water, a radio, etc.
• If possible, go to a room or corridor where there are no windows, vents, or an area with few doors.
• If there is time, shut and lock all windows and doors. Locking them may provide a tighter seal against chemicals.
• If possible, put a wet towel, or piece of clothing against the crack between the door and the floor to seal it.
• Most of the campus buildings are controlled centrally by Facility Operations. If your room does have local controls, turn off or block any heat, fans, air conditioning, or vents.
• Use a radio or the internet to check for additional information via the SCC web page, or monitor local radio stations for emergency information and further details.

Once the ALL CLEAR has been announced, several options may be exercised:

• Opening of windows and doors;
• Turning on heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems;
• Going outside and waiting until the building has been vented.

There may be certain emergencies when it may be safer to stay inside and lock the door when possible, rather then immediately evacuate (e.g. armed intruder on campus.)

Before the onset of a situation, the following things need to be considered:

• Does your door lock, and if so, how does it lock: from the inside or outside?
• Do you have a key for the classroom or office to lock it with?
• If the room does not lock, are their large items to barricade the door with?
• Can you close the blinds in the room?
• Can you and/or students get away from windows?
• Is there any way to block the door?
• Do the lights come on when you move in the room?
• Do you have an opportunity to evacuate?
• Do you know how to contact SCC Security or 911 from your location?
• How well do you do in a crisis? (If you have any doubts about your ability to think calmly and clearly in an emergency, then the time to prepare and plan is now.)
• Before an incident, think through various violent scenarios and determine what might work if an intruder were to come onto campus, into your classroom, or office area.

Responding personnel will have to use individual judgment as to what they can and should do first. The following things need to happen as close together as possible:

• Get yourself and students out of harm's way.
• When possible, contact Security to alert them to a problem, and determine whether evacuation or lockdown is the appropriate response.
• Faculty and employees should make decisions of lockdown or evacuation on their own only in life threatening situations.
• In a violent situation, consider what you can use to cover yourself, or deflect a bullet if necessary (trashcans, columns, planter boxes, benches, cement.) Consider what might conceal you to an intruder (doors, partitions, desks, shrubs, video cabinets.)
• Assess whether anyone is injured and the severity of injuries. In life-threatening situations, take immediate appropriate measures by calling 911, and then alerting campus Security.
• In the event that faculty or an employee cannot call or leave the room, ask someone in the class to call 911 or Security by using their cell phone.
• Faculty and employees in classrooms should remain with students until notified by appropriate personnel on what actions to take.

Depending on the nature of the emergency, either law enforcement or the fire department will be in charge of the incident.

• As best you can, secure all areas for student and employee safety until the police arrive.
• Be aware that the site may be a potential crime scene. Avoid unnecessary touching or tampering with anything in the area, as it will disturb what is considered evidence. To the extent possible, leave all objects exactly as they are in order to protect the evidence for law enforcement.
• Communicate to the emergency responders where the Emergency Command Post is located (often in the 1000 building Board Room), or direct them to Security in Room 5102.
• In the case of a lockdown, if possible, keep a list of any students who have left your classroom.
• Never speculate. Be sure to have as much information as possible and to understand the circumstances surrounding the situation before commenting on it. Follow all appropriate guidelines about disclosure, repeating, or giving out information.
• As appropriate, keep students informed about what is happening. Ensure that the same information is communicated to all of the students and employees present.
• As soon as possible, try to account for all students and employees that were in your classroom or immediate area before the incident.
• Continue to maintain the crime scene for evidence. 

Students should understand and follow all plans applicable to the given crisis situation. Students should not panic. In addition, they should be informed of the following:

• In the absence of employee or faculty direction, decide where it is safest to be and remain there.
• Determine whether you should shelter in place, lock-down, run, hide, play dead, or fight.
• In a violent situation, consider what you can use to cover yourself, or deflect a bullet if necessary (trashcans, columns, planter boxes, benches, cement.) Consider what might conceal you to an intruder (doors, partitions, desks, shrubs, video cabinets.)
• Before an incident, think through various scenarios for your own safety, and determine what might work if an intruder where to come onto campus or into your classroom.
• In a violent situation, notify the first available employee. Share all relevant information with Security, law enforcement, faculty, or whoever can first assist you in alerting authorities.
• During and after the crisis, to the extent it is safe, keep with you what is on your person, do not go back for anything you left behind, and do not pick anything up.
• Assist faculty and employees in quickly assessing who is accounted for and who is not.
• If able to, provide assistance to injured or disabled persons.
• Try to remain calm and reassure fellow students.
• Follow directions about where to go or where to remain from Campus Security, law enforcement, or other emergency responders.
• Do not speculate or perpetuate rumors to others.
• Do not retaliate or take unnecessary chances against an intruder.
• Fighting is a last option and depends on a long list of considerations in the situation.