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Before all of the terrorist incidents involving chemical and biological agents, we were much more concerned about evacuation plans that got us out of the workplace. In the past several years, however, we have seen many occasions on which businesses and individuals were required to shelter-in-place. If you haven't yet been similarly affected, you no doubt will one day. The articles below should help you in your preparations for a shelter-in-place situation.

We're told that, in an emergency, we need supplies for three days; what's the real story? (Item #1) Here's a general guide for preparing a shelter in place plan in the workplace (Item #2) You'll probably need to educate tenants if you expect them to shelter in place. (Item #3)

This white paper weighs the risks of evacuation against the difficulty of sheltering in place. (Item #4) This article answers many of the questions you may have about sheltering in place. (Item #5) Finally, we provide a list of sites that offer shelter-in-place supplies. (Item #6)

As always, we look forward to hearing about your concerns with regards to business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, please email me at bmellinger@attainium.net

Best Regards,

Bob Mellinger
President
Attainium Corp

Quote of the Week

"Just because the river is quiet does not mean the crocodiles have left."
- Malay Proverb -

Articles

1. Emergency Information
The typical basic emergency kit will contain: a first aid kit, a small flashlight, a pair of batteries that have never been used, a single-use rain poncho and a wind up or battery powered radio. While these items meet the minimum recommended government standards, they are inadequate to meet your needs during a prolonged state of emergency. [Check Item #6 for a list of web sites that sell emergency and shelter-in-place supplies]
http://www.emergencyproductswarehouse.com/en/emergency_information/index.html

2. Shelter in Place at Your Office
This 15-page guide includes a model shelter-in-place plan, checklists, and pre-emergency preparations. This is an example of a plan that a business could develop for shelter in place actions. You should develop your own plan with an employee planning team. The model plan can be used to assist in developing your own plan.
http://www.epa.gov/region06/6sf/pdffiles/douglas_county_ne_office_sip_26.pdf

3. Shelter in Place
Beginning in 2003, there was increased focus on chemical, biological and radiological methods of instilling terror on American soil. A result was realization of a need to review evacuation processes to avoid endangering building inhabitants by permitting them to respond to their fears and evacuate without considering what might be happening outside, in the street. How does one even suggest to people that they not follow what their instincts tell them? This article offers some insight into the challenges of sheltering in place.
http://securitysolutions.com/mag/security_shelterinplace/

4. The shelter-in-place decision - all things considered
This paper presents information regarding evacuation and sheltering-in-place decision parameters and argues that the effectiveness of these actions may be enhanced through appropriate community education.
http://www.ema.gov.au/agd/EMA/rwpattach.nsf/VAP/(A80860EC13A61F5BA8C1121176F6CC3C)~AJEM_Nov2007_Glotzer.pdf/$file/AJEM_Nov2007_Glotzer.pdf

5. Questions and Answers: EPA Shelter-in-Place Research
The US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Homeland Security Research offers a comprehensive list of FAQs on sheltering in place. The list covers many areas of concern and would be helpful to have on hand for most workplaces - and families.
http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/news/news010606b.htm

6. Where to get shelter-in-place and emergency supplies…
As we have in the past, we are providing links to some sources of supplies you may want to investigate for your organization's SIP and preparedness kits. [Please note that we are not endorsing these products, simply providing the sites as sources of products.]
- Emergency Products Warehouse - http://www.emergencyproductswarehouse.com/
      (this is a wholesale, business-to-business only site)
- Global Protection USA - http://www.globalprotectionllc.com
- LifeSecure Emergency Solutions - http://www.lifesecure.com
- Simpler Life Emergency Provisions Inc. - http://www.simplerlife.com/
- DisasterNecessities.com - http://www.disasternecessities.com/
- Life Kit - http://www.lifekit.com/
- AreYouPrepared.com - http://www.areyouprepared.com/