Emergency

Evacuation

During a building alarm (fire alarm) sounds and/or upon notification by law enforcement or staff, evacuation is MANDATORY.

When the building evacuation alarm is activated during an emergency, leave by the nearest marked exit and alert others to do the same.
DO NOT USE THE ELEVATORS IN CASES OF FIRE OR EARTHQUAKE.

Once outside, proceed to either the designated evacuation rally point, or if this area is affected, a clear area that is at least 1000 feet away from the affected building. Keep streets, fire lanes, hydrant, areas and walkways clear for emergency vehicles and personnel.

DO NOT return to an evacuated building unless cleared by law enforcement or fire personnel.

DO NOT remain in a building after evacuation has begun! You will pose a risk to responders!

The following procedures are intended to assist disabled persons with an emergency evacuation from any buildings on the campus of Bacone College. The guidelines set forth in this section are in compliance with NFPA 101 Life Safety Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Bacone College policies and procedures require all persons in a facility to evacuate that facility any time the fire alarm system is activated or other emergency that requires building evacuation. Persons with disabilities may not be able to evacuate unassisted. Therefore, they should inform another person that assistance may be necessary during an evacuation.

General Guidelines

• Remember that individuals with similar disabilities are unique. Listen to the individual; he/she is the expert regarding his/her own disability.
• Always ask the individual if there are any special considerations or items that need to come with him/her during the evacuation.
• There are "hidden" disabilities that may need assistance, including health, psychiatric disabilities (anxiety disorders, depression, personality disorders, etc.), and some vision or hearing impairments.
• Some individuals may utilize service animals such as guide dogs, hearing dogs or assistance animals. When possible, keep the team together.

"Buddy System" Option

Persons with disabilities that limit mobility are encouraged to utilize the "Buddy System." Persons with disabilities that limit mobility may be defined as anyone who uses assistive devices such as canes, crutches, or wheelchairs or who has slower mobility due to illness or injury. Also, persons with limited vision and hearing may need assistance to evacuate.

During the first week of class, persons with limited mobility are encouraged to make acquaintances with fellow students, residents, class members, faculty or staff. Inform them of any special assistance that may be required in the event of a fire alarm.

When the fire alarm sounds, the "Buddy" will make sure of the location of the person with the disability, and then go outside and inform emergency personnel (Campus Police Officers, Muskogee Fire Department, Muskogee EMS, etc.) that a person in a specific location needs assistance in leaving the building. Emergency personnel will then enter the building and evacuate that person.

If conditions allow, the "Buddy" may choose to assist the person with disability during the evacuation of the building.

ELEVATORS ARE NOT TO BE USED IN AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION.
Elevators will stop in the event of a power outage and persons will become trapped inside.

Evacuation Options

Use of the "Buddy System" along with the following evacuation options will help to assure the prompt evacuation of any person with a disability.

• Horizontal Evacuation: Move away from the area of imminent danger to a safe distance such as another wing, adjoining building, opposite end of the corridor, or outside if on ground level.
• Vertical (Stairway) Evacuation: Stairways can be used by those who are able to evacuate with or without assistance. Enclosed stairways are a safe refuge due to fire and smoke doors that enclose the area. Persons with sight disability may require the assistance of a sighted person. Persons who must use crutches or other devices as walking aids will need to use their own discretion, especially when several flights of stairs are concerned.
• Stay in Place: Unless danger is imminent, remain in a room with an exterior window and a telephone, closing the door. Give your name, location, and the reason you are calling to 911. Phone lines normally remain in service during most building emergencies. If the phone lines do fail, you can signal from the window by waving a cloth, towel, sheet, or other object to attract attention.

Disability Guidelines

Prior planning and practicing of emergency evacuation routes are important in assuring a safe evacuation.

• Mobility Impaired (Wheelchair): Persons using wheelchairs should stay in place or utilize some type of horizontal Evacuation with their "Buddy" when the alarm sounds. The evacuation "Buddy" should immediately proceed to the evacuation assembly point outside the building and inform emergency personnel about the location of the person with disability. If the person with disability is alone, he/she should inform the Campus Police of his/her location.
• Mobility Impaired (Non-Wheelchair): Persons with mobility impairments, who are able to walk independently, may be able to negotiate stairs in an emergency with minor assistance. If danger is imminent, the individual should wait until the heavy traffic has cleared before attempting the stairs. If there is no immediate danger (e.g., detectable smoke, fire, or unusual odor), the person with disability may choose to stay in the building, using the other options, until emergency personnel arrive.
• Hearing Impaired: Most buildings on campus are equipped with fire alarm horn/strobes that sound the alarm and flash strobe lights. The strobe lights are for hearing impaired persons. Persons with hearing impairments may not notice or hear emergency alarms and will need to be alerted of emergency situations.
• Visually Impaired: Most buildings on campus are equipped with fire alarm horn/strobes that sound the alarm and flash strobe lights. The horn is for the sight impaired persons. Most people with a visual impairment will be familiar with their immediate surroundings and frequently traveled routes. Since the emergency evacuation route could be different from the commonly traveled route, persons who are visually impaired may need assistance in evacuating a building. A "Buddy" should offer assistance to the individual with visual impairment and guide him/her through the evacuation route.

At the beginning of each semester Student Life will conduct meetings with their floors to discuss the "Buddy System" as well as other emergency procedures including location of nearest stairwells for exit, nearest fire extinguishers and how to use them, etc.

Housing should make note of any disabled persons residing in the halls and provide this list to Campus Police. In the event of a fire alarm, Housing should direct emergency responders to the disabled person(s) room to verify whether they were able to evacuate appropriately.

Students who may experience temporary disability, such as those who may be temporarily on crutches, or recovering from a surgical procedure, should identify themselves to Student Life so that they can be included in this procedure.

In residence halls, following evacuation of each room, and when possible if no danger is imminent, a diagonal line of masking tape or similar material should be placed outside a closed and unlocked door which will indicate to emergency personnel that that room has been evacuated. This should be done as the last person is leaving that room.

Students and personnel are to evacuate the building and congregate in one area. Students are not to leave campus without first providing their name and location to officers and the Residence Life Staff. This is to facilitate communication between parents or others who may call the College to locate the student and to assist police in any investigation.

Shelter in Place

Many incidents may require a "shelter in place" order, including tornado watch/warning or other weather events. In this case, stay away from all doors and windows and locate a safe interior hallway in which to take cover. Additional instructions will be provided by staff as appropriate.

Violent incidents, including but not limited to: acts of terrorism, an active shooter, assaults, or other incidents of workplace violence can occur on the grounds or in close proximity with little or no warning. An "active shooter" is considered to be a suspect or assailant whose activity is immediately causing serious injury or death and has not been contained.

Law enforcement officers use nationally accepted response procedures to contain and terminate such threats, as quickly as possible. The following information regarding law enforcement response will enable you to take appropriate protective actions for yourself.

Try to remain calm as your actions will influence others. The following instructions are intended for incidents that are of an emergent nature (i.e., imminent or in progress):

1. Secure the immediate area. Whether a classroom, residence hall room, office, or restroom:

• Lock or barricade the door, if able. Block the door using whatever is available – desks, tables, file cabinets, other furniture, books, etc.
• After securing the door, stay behind solid objects away from the door as much as possible.
• If the assailant enters your room and leaves, lock or barricade the door behind them.
• If safe to do so, allow others to seek refuge with you.

2. Protective Actions. Take appropriate steps to reduce your vulnerability:

• Close blinds.
• Block windows.
• Turn off radios and computer monitors.
• Silence cell phones.
• Place signs in interior doors and windows, but remember the assailant can see these as well.
• Place signs in exterior windows to identify your location and the location of injured persons.
• Keep people calm and quiet.
• After securing the room, people should be positioned out of sight and behind items that might offer additional protection – walls, desks, file cabinets, bookshelves, etc.

3. Unsecured Areas: If you find yourself in an open area, immediately seek protection:

• Put something between you and the assailant.
• Consider trying to escape, if you know where the assailant is and there appears to be an escape route immediately available to you.
• If in doubt, find the safest area available and secure it the best way that you can.

4. Call 911. Emergency situations should be reported to law enforcement by dialing 911. You may hear multiple rings – stay on the line until it is answered - do not hang up. Be prepared to
provide the 911 operator with as much information as possible, such as the following:

• What is happening.
• Where you are located, including building name and room number.
• Number of people at your specific location.
• Injuries, if any, including the number of injured and types of injuries.
• Your name and other information as requested.

5. Try to provide information in a calm clear manner so that the 911 operator quickly can relay
your information to responding law enforcement and emergency personnel.

6. What to Report. Try to note as much as possible about the assailant, including:

• Specific location and direction of the assailant.
• Number of assailants.
• Gender, race, and age of the assailant.
• Language or commands used by the assailant.
• Clothing color and style.
• Physical features – e.g., height, weight, facial hair, glasses.
• Type of weapons – e.g., handgun, rifle, shotgun, explosives.
• Description of any backpack or bag.
• Do you recognize the assailant? Do you know their name?
• What exactly did you hear – e.g., explosions, gunshots, etc.

7. Treat the Injured. The 911 operator will notify law enforcement and other emergency service (EMS) agencies – fire and rescue. EMS will respond to the site, but will may not be able to enter or the area until it is secured by law enforcement. You may have to treat the injured as best you can until the area is secure, as Oklahoma CLEET Active Shooter Training places emphasis on finding and eliminating a threat to life safety BEFORE treating the injured. You can make the difference to an injured person by remembering basic first aid:

• For bleeding apply pressure and elevate. Many items can be used for this purpose – e.g., clothing, paper towels, feminine hygiene products, newspapers, etc.
• Reassure those in the area that help will arrive – try to stay quiet and calm.

8. Securing the Area

• The assailant may not stop until his objectives have been met or until engaged and neutralized by law enforcement.
• Always consider the risk exposure by opening the door for any reason.
• Attempts to rescue people only should be made if it can be done without further endangering the persons inside of a secured area.
• Be aware that the assailant may bang on the door, yell for help, or otherwise attempt to entice you to open the door of a secured area.
• If there is any doubt about the safety of the individuals inside the room, the area needsto remain secured.

Campus Police Officers and Deputies from the Muskogee County Sheriff's Department will immediately respond to the area, assisted by other local law enforcement agencies, if necessary. You may see a variety of officers in various uniforms, including Muskogee Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Tribal Police (Creek Nation Lighthorsemen, Cherokee Nation Marshals) and federal agents (ATF, FBI, USMS). These officers may be in tactical gear and carrying submachine guns or patrol rifles – while their appearance may be intimidating,  you should remain calm and allow them to work quickly to stop the threat by following these important rules:

1. Remain inside the secure area.

• Law enforcement will locate, contain, and stop the assailant.
• The safest place for you to be is inside a secure room.
• The assailant may not flee when law enforcement enters the building, but instead may target arriving officers.

2. Injured Persons. Initial responding officers will not treat the injured or begin evacuation until
the threat is neutralized and the area is secure.

• You may need to explain this to others in order to calm them.
• Once the threat is neutralized, officers will begin treatment and evacuation.

 

3. Evacuation. Responding officers will establish safe corridors for persons to evacuate.

• This may be time consuming.
• Remain in secure areas until instructed otherwise.
• You may be instructed to keep your hands on your head.
• You may be searched.
• You may be escorted out of the building by law enforcement personnel - follow their directions.
• After evacuation you may be taken to a staging or holding area for medical care, interviewing, counseling, etc.
• Once you have been evacuated you will not be permitted to retrieve items or access the area until law enforcement releases the crime scene.