Be Prepared to Execute an “Emergency Lockdown” or “Shelter in Place” or “Hold and Secure”
Governance and Emergency Management Canada can help you to build and implement “Lockdown”, “Hold and Secure” and “Shelter in Place” protocol, policy, procedures and drills within your organization. We have the expertise and experience to work with you and assist you with the process.
- - It’s Not Just for Schools, College or University.
We work with business, organization, school, college or university of all size.
The reality is that incidents of mass violence are on the rise and studies have shown the threat posed to businesses is just as great and in some recent years there has been a higher prevalence of workplace shootings than in schools. Workplaces are as risk as any other organizations, study shows that 51% occurred in the workplace which shows that while school shootings receive far more media attention, the risk in a business is greater (statistically speaking).
We can help, assist you to prepare:
- Develop a customized emergency response plan, to include “Lockdown”, “Hold and Secure” and “Shelter in Place” protocol, policy, procedures and train/educate and exercise all occupants, employees and students (if applicable) on what to do in the event of an active shooter or other violent intruder or in the event of potential exposure to a dangerous chemical that could be released through an industrial accident.
- Bring your organization to its “first” lockdown, hold and secure and shelter in place drills.
There are many steps that go into the above mentioned planning and implementation. We can assist you, Governance and Emergency Management Canada, we have the expertise, we will use a holistic approach to work with you to develop and implement related program tailored to your organization.
Lockdowns, Hold and Secure, Shelter in Place
Lockdown, Hold and Secure and Shelter in place procedures are options for protecting occupants that your organization should have included in their workplace emergency response plans covering a variety of emergency, including building evacuation, fire, violence in the work place, active shooter, hostage, electrical power outage, bomb threat, suspicious package, cyber threat, release of hazardous material, earthquakes etc.
When to Lockdown / Terminology to be used
Terminology is very important. Plans should clearly identify
“Lockdown” should only be used when there is a major incident or threat of violence within the organization or school, or in relation to the organization or school. The over or misuse of lockdowns, will result in occupants becoming desensitized and they will not take lockdowns seriously.
“Hold and Secure” should be used when it is desirable to secure the organization or school due to an ongoing situation outside and not related to the organization or school (e.g., a bank robbery occurs near but not on property). In this situation, the organization or school continue to function normally, with the exterior doors being locked until such time as the situation near the building is resolved.
“Shelter in Place” should be used for an environmental or weather related situation, where it is necessary to keep all occupants inside, to protect them from an external situation.
The Shelter in Place plan has proven to be a safer approach than evacuating into a potentially contaminated outdoor environment. Generally, the duration of these situations would last minutes or hours, not days.
The Shelter in Place plan protects your organization and occupants in the event of potential exposure to a dangerous chemical that could be released through:
- An industrial accident
- A chemical spill
- A break in a natural gas pipeline
- Materials transported through our community
- A terrorist attack
Should one of these situations occurs all heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems would be shut down and all doors and windows would be closed and secured. On the advice of local emergency personnel, no one would be allowed in or out of a building until the authorities give the all-clear signal.
