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As the H1N1 swine flu virus is increasing in various parts of the country, some experts are advising that we must be prepared to shelter in place for anywhere from a few days to a few months. We hope it won't come to that. It is important, however, to make sure we know what to do just in case - and having supplies and information on hand can only be a positive thing. The items below may be helpful to you in your preparations for sheltering in place for any reason that might turn up.

Shelter-in-place and areas of refuge have a place in today's high-rise buildings. (Item #1)   It's important for landlords to be familiar with their shelter-in-place. (Item #2)   It's important to understand how "lockdown" and "shelter in place" differ. (Item #3)  

Here are some instructions on how to shelter in place at home, work, or school. (Item #4)   This article provides a collection of techniques that are the accepted practices for achieving maximum safety for employees in shelter-in-place situations. (Item #5)   Where to get emergency 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 [email protected]

Best Regards,

Bob Mellinger
President
Attainium Corp

Quote of the Week

"Ya gotta be ready for the fastball."
- Ted Williams -

Articles

1. High-Rise Evacuation Strategy? Shelter-In-Place
The concept of horizontal exiting allows occupants on a given floor to retreat to a safe area - a stronghold against heat and smoke. That area can be used to facilitate the orderly egress of occupants, hold occupants until first responders can rescue them, or hold occupants until the threat is eliminated. Increasingly, refuge areas have two-way communication systems that allow those in the area to remain in contact with first responders.
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/firesafety/article/HighRise-Evacuation-Strategy-ShelterInPlace--11146

2. Shelter-in-Place Orders: What Must a Landlord Do?
Property owners, including landlords, must cooperate with shelter-in-place orders by letting people take shelter at their property. For example, if a plane carrying hazardous materials crashes or a chemical plant catches fire, authorities may instruct nearby property and business owners to allow the public to shelter-in-place on their property.
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/article-29877.html

3. What's the Difference Between "Lockdown" and "Shelter in Place"?
What does each of the terms mean? Survivalgearsource.com offers definitions of these terms.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Whats-the-Difference-Between-Lockdown-and-Shelter-in-Place?&id=1479939

4. Shelter-in-Place in an Emergency
Shelter-in-place means selecting a small, interior room, with no or few windows, and taking refuge there. It does not mean sealing off your entire home or office building. If you are told to shelter-in-place, follow the instructions provided in this Fact Sheet.
http://cfc.whtm.com/affinity/affarticle.cfm?id=156

5. Sheltering In Place: A "Best Practice" Guideline
Terrorism tactics (e.g., dirty bomb) have forced life safety experts to re-think best-practice strategies in order to properly protect a company's most critical resource - their employees. The result of this review has led to the recommendation and implementation of a technique known as "Shelter in Place." This document serves as a guideline for implementing a life safety program that includes Sheltering in Place and is intended to incorporate currently known best practices.
https://www.chicagofirst.org/resources/shelter_in_place.pdf

6. Supplies for sheltering in place
The links below will take you to web sites that sell shelter-in-place supplies and equipment. Attainium has no relationship with these providers; we simply make this information available for your convenience.
-- http://www.survivalgearsource.com – provides a range of supplies, including food
-- http://www.redcrossstore.org/Shopper/Product.aspx?UniqueItemId=36&Page=1&StartAtPage=1&SId=397350&LocationId=0 - The Red Cross Store
-- http://www.readykit.com/cart.php?target=category&category_id=12
-- http://www.emergencyproductswarehouse.com/