Tornado Preparedness Training for Floor Captains

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Tornado Preparedness Training for Floor Captains
University Safety and Assurances [phone]

• Stoughton Tornado
• August 18, 2005

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2013 Tornado Awareness Week

• April 15th-19th, 2013 is Tornado and Severe
  Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin

UWM Campus drills will occur on Thursday, April
18th at 2 PM Off-Campus Drill times
are Continuing Education-Plankinton Bldg. -
4/19 _at_ 130pm East Lake Towers-TBD Kenilworth
Square East 04/18 _at_ 200pm School of Freshwater
Sciences 4/18 _at_ 200pm USRB- 4/18 _at_ 200pm WUWM
TBD Zilber School of Public Health - TBD
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Tornado Shelter Area Signs

• Tornado Shelter Area signs are posted in each
  campus building, typically located on the lowest
  level of the building
• In some buildings an interior classroom or
  stairwell may be an appropriate shelter area

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Shelter in Place Locations

• Newly identified interior classrooms where
  occupants can shelter in place can be
  identified by a temporary sign posted on the wall
  outside of the room

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Podium Instructions

• Podium Instruction cards have been created for
  classrooms containing 50 or more students
• These cards provide the instructor with emergency
  information on procedures in the event of a
  tornado or fire emergency

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Tornado Shelter Areas

• Emergency Evacuation signs (posted in prominent
  locations) identify your shelter areas
• Extra temporary tornado signs are available

Shelter Area maps http//www4.uwm.edu/uap/space/f
loor-plans.cfm
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Announcement of Drill

• Buildings with a fire alarm panel or other public
  address systems will be notified via a verbal
  announcement over the PA System by the Building
  Chair (or someone appointed by the Building Chair)

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Announcement of Drill

• Text of the standardized message to building
  occupants will be provided to Building Chair
• The Building Chair will announce the start of the
  drill and location of Shelter Areas
• University Police will also send out a SAFE alert
  to announce the drill.

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Announcement of Drills and Warnings

• Buildings with no PA systems will be notified by
  manual alarms (whistles) on each floor of the
  building
• These buildings are

• Alumni
• AUP
• Bolton
• Chapman
• Hefter
• Mellencamp
• Physics
• Power Plant
• USRB
• Zelazo
• WATER Institute

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Building Chairs

• Building Chairs should know the Floor Captains
  for their building
• Do you have adequate coverage for all floors of
  your building?
• How will you communicate with your floor captains?

Link to Listing of Floor Captains http//www4.uwm
.edu/usa/safety/general/floorcaptains.cfm
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Floor Captains

• Floor Captains are identified by green
  fluorescent vests
• For buildings with no PA systems, floor captains
  will also be issued whistles
• Please let us know if you need a vest and/or
  whistle

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Role of Building Chairs Floor Captains During
Drill

• Building Chairs Floor Captains direct traffic
• Guide visitors, students and others who may not
  be familiar with building to shelter area
• Monitor security of building
• In the event you will not be available to assist
  with the drill, we would appreciate your
  assistance in identifying a co-worker or
  colleague who could temporarily perform your
  floor captain duties

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Role of Floor Captain During Drill

• Monitor corridors on assigned Floor to ensure
  personnel are moving to shelter
• Check restrooms on assigned floor to ensure they
  have been evacuated
• Concentrate on public areas
• Office managers, classroom lecturers, and
  laboratory or workshop heads should be
  responsible for advising occupants in their areas
  to evacuate
• Those floor captains assigned to shelter areas
  should assess designated shelter location (Did
  everyone fit? Could it be reached quickly?)
• Complete evaluation form and give to your
  building chair

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Evacuation

• Once the drill is announced, occupants should
  proceed quickly and calmly (using interior
  stairways if necessary to reach a lower level) to
  a building tornado shelter area

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High Rise Buildings

• Go to enclosed, windowless area in center of
  building -- away from glass
• Interior stairwells are usually good places to
  take shelter, and if not crowded, allow you to
  get to a lower level quickly
• Stay off elevators you could be trapped if power
  goes out

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High Rise Buildings

• Bolton
• Chemistry
• Cunningham
• Curtin
• Enderis
• EMS
• Sandburg
• Continuing Ed (Plankinton Building)
• SECONDS COUNT - Floors 4 and below should go to
  basement Floors 5 and above should seek shelter
  in interior spaces (restrooms, stairways,
  interior rooms and hallways).

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Evacuation - Individuals with a Disability

• Supervisors should be responsible for assisting
  any student, staff member, or visitor who has a
  disability
• Recommendations are
• Mobility impaired-wheelchair Elevator to
  shelter
• Mobility impaired, non-wheelchair Elevator to
  shelter
• Hearing impaired Inform of announcement and
  shelter advice
• Visually impaired Offer elbow assist to
  shelter

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Conclusion of Drill

• At the conclusion of the drill (once occupants
  have reached the designated shelter areas or
  after 10 minutes) in those buildings with a PA
  System, the Building Chair will make an All
  Clear announcement
• In those buildings with no PA System, floor
  captains will announce to occupants that they may
  return to their rooms
• University Police will send out a Text Message
  via the SAFE alert system to announce the
  conclusion of the drill (at about 210pm)

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Evaluation and Debriefing

• Floor Captains will meet briefly with their
  building chair for a debriefing and to turn in
  their evaluation form
• Or send forms to University Safety and Assurances
  in Eng. 270