Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness Plan: Museum of Natural History & Surfing Museum Operations manager: Lise Peterson Telephone: (831) 420-6115 IN-CASE OF EMERGENCY DIAL 911 The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum follow an emergency preparedness plan as set out in this document. NOTE: All Museum staff are to be aware of the Museum s evacuation and emergency preparedness plan, shut-off and close-down procedures and follow-up. Section 1. Emergency Notification & Reporting In case of fire, natural disaster, medical emergency or other life threatening situation, contact 911 immediately. The decision to evacuate the building will be made by Emergency Services Personnel (i.e. Fire Department, Police or Senior Museum staff). The Museum staff person in-charge will notify the appropriate city departments, Police, Fire, and/or the Risk Manager. Section 2. Emergency Escape & Evacuation Procedures Safety of people and crowd control are top priority. All employees must familiarize themselves with overall Evacuation Procedures. They must know the most efficient exit route of the building using the closest doorway or ground floor window. Evacuation route maps must be posted next to exit doors. A copy of the Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness Plan is posted near the Museum Director s office. All persons evacuated from the building are to meet in the amphitheatre in Tyrell Park at the rear of the building. The Director, or the designated authority, shall be responsible for accounting for all on-duty personnel. This will be accomplished by conducting a visual verification at the amphitheatre. EVACUATION Reasons for evacuation may include: major earthquake or other natural disaster bomb or explosion in or near the building sharp or pungent odor of gas outbreak of fire This is a general procedure and is meant to be used ONLY if evacuation is necessary. Evacuations are to be conducted in a calm and orderly manner to prevent panic and confusion or injury. The decision to evacuate will be made by the Museum Director or lead staff as applicable. Staff members should split up the areas of coverage. The Museum Attendant should lock the front doors and close immediately to avoid more people entering the building. Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness Plan Page 1 of 8
EVACUATION AREAS The Museum of Natural History evacuation map lists exits, safety kit(s) and gas valve/wrench locations. If only two staff members are on duty, the Museum Attendant or Desk Personnel will call 911 and then begin evacuation at the rear of the building (Terrestrial Exhibit Hall) and work systematically toward the entrance of the building. The other staff person would start at the downstairs conference room and work towards the main lower level entrance of the building. If there are three or more staff people, the building can be broken into separate areas. It is important to go through the building calmly and systematically. Enter each room (propping doors completely with door stops) and instruct people to exit in a calm, authoritative voice. Example: "Please exit this room immediately. Exit this room to your right (or left) and walk away from the building to the middle of the park." Staff should be aware some people may have hearing impairments. It is necessary to use more than your voice to indicate evacuation. Close the doors to rooms as you direct people out. Staff members will be in charge of directing people to the proper exit until evacuation has been completed. After you have cleared the public out of your assigned evacuation area, move to the next area to assist staff in other parts of the building. See that people move away from the building safely and assemble at a safe distance in the Tyrell Park Amphitheatre. The preferred gathering place is in the middle of the park, away from trees and power lines. Do not attempt to re-enter the building. The ranking staff member on duty is responsible for making sure all public and museum staff have left the site and are assembled outside. Proper authorities (police, fire, ambulance) should be contacted if that has not already been done. If a designated exit is blocked, use the nearest accessible exit. (This may include other designated exits or windows) If the ramped exit is blocked, special assistance may be required for people with disabilities or mobility limitations. OTHER PROGRAMS School Tours has its own evacuation plan which directs people out the side door to the amphitheater. This is ONLY an exit during a school tour while a school tour is in progress. At other times, proceed with the general evacuation plan. Special Events procedures are to follow the evacuation plan as set out in school tours. Surfing Museum: Evacuation should proceed under the general guidelines set for the Museum of Natural History. In an orderly fashion, usher patrons out the primary exit to the main lawn. In case of bomb threat, escort patrons to the parking lot across the street. Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness Plan Page 2 of 8
SIGN OUT If there is a disaster that will prevent people from re-entering the facility, staff is to initiate a sign out process. Signout forms are to be made available in the emergency kit and should include information such as people's name, phone and where they are going. This information will help in assisting relatives in locating museum patrons. Section 3. Emergency Shut-off Procedures In the case of an earthquake, gas should be shut off immediately. The valve is located outside on the wall nearest the grey whale statue. The valve to be shut off is spray-painted RED. It is to be turned 90 degrees, to be parallel with the ground. Section 4. Emergency Kits The office emergency supply kit is located downstairs near the utility closet. The mobile unit includes: an expanded first aid kit, flashlights, batteries, space blankets, a radio and sign-out sheets. This unit should be brought into the park in the case of an evacuation. The general response and first aid kit can be found upstairs behind the front desk. This kit includes: a first aid kit with bandages; flash lights, batteries, a radio and sign-out sheets. This unit should also be brought into the park in case of emergency or evacuation. The Surfing Museum also has a first aid kit located behind the counter. Section 5. Medical Emergencies Do not leave a visitor experiencing a medical emergency unattended unless you are the only other person in the building. Call 911 and be prepared to answer specific questions regarding the medical emergency. If necessary, assign a visitor to call 911 if no other person is around. Stay calm and assure the victim that help is on the way. If you are versed in First Aid, ask the victim if they are willing to accept aid until help arrives. Although you should be focused on the emergency, remember that the museum is still open to the public. Make mental notes of the sequence of events and fill out an incident report as soon as possible. Section 6. Alarm System The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and Surfing Museum have contracted First Alarm Security Services for both the burglar and fire alarms systems. Their Monitoring Center phone number is (800) 88-ALARM (800-882- 5276). In the event of a fire alarm, begin evacuation procedures as outlined above (see Section 2). Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness Plan Page 3 of 8
Section 7. Fire Prevention EVACUATION & EMERGENCY A Fire Prevention Plan is an integral part of the emergency evacuation plan for this work area. For the Museum of Natural History and Surfing Museum, the plan identifies the following steps and guidelines: 1. Hazard Identification Our potential hazards/flammable materials/ignition sources of the Museum of Natural History include the following: 1. Paint 2. Chemical Adhesives and Epoxies 3. Paint removers and/or thinners 4. Chemical cleaners and/or reactive agents 5. Paint tarps and plastic sheeting 6. Stored wood and paper products (near operating electronic devices) Our potential hazards/flammable materials/ignition sources of the Surfing Museum include the following: 1. Chemical cleaners and/or reactive agents 2. Stored paper products (near operating electronic devices) Paint is to be stored in the Flammable Products closet of the storage/washroom area located downstairs. Paint related products are to be stored in their respective areas within the storage/washroom area downstairs. Chemical cleaners are to be kept in the janitorial storage closet upstairs located near the Ohlone Room exhibit. Adhesives and epoxies are to be stored in the main utility/storage closet downstairs. 2. Maintenance a) The Administrative Assistant is responsible for checking the fire extinguisher(s) quarterly. Fire extinguishers must be maintained in adequate operating condition. Ensure that they are full and that they have not lapsed their expiration date. b) Facility Services will coordinate fire protection system inspections. Facility Services are also responsible for maintaining and updating the M.S.D.S. manual (though museum staff must work in conjunction with Facility Services about questionable materials). c) The City of Santa Cruz has assigned the Administrative Assistant, as the primary contact responsible for calling First Alarm Company. First Alarm s phone number is (800) 88-ALARM. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1. d) The Superintendent of Parks & Rec will handle maintenance reviews of the main utility/storage closet, flammable storage unit, and general areas. Section 8. Safety Awareness Training Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness Plan Page 4 of 8
Responsibility: The Museum Director is responsible for implementation and training of this plan. The Museum Director will ensure adequate personnel are assigned and trained to ensure safe and orderly evacuation. Training Requirements Training shall be conducted according to the following standards and guidelines. Where possible, the training shall be conducted jointly with other departments or areas adjoining the work location conducting the training. Training shall be provided to all employees (both city and association): 1. Whenever an employee's work location, responsibilities or actions change. 2. Whenever the plan is changed. 3. For all new employees at initial assignment. 4. At least annually. 5. The location of the written plan and maps shall be available to all employees for reference. The written plan is located in the Main Conference Room. A copy of the plan can also be found in the office of the Museum Director. Employees are required to watch a fire safety video and train on the proper use of a fire extinguisher. This video is available on-loan from the City of Santa Cruz Fire Department upon request. Annual training in fire safety and emergency procedures is required. One time per year, the Administrative Assistant will route the Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness Plan to employees with a routing slip they will check off and route to next employee once they have reviewed. Annual review of the plan is mandatory. Annual Safety Inspections will be conducted by the City of Santa Cruz Department of Parks & Recreation Safety Committee. Dates of inspection will be posted on the door of the Office of the Museum Director within one (1) week of inspection announcements. Fire Prevention Plan training (safe use of fire extinguishers and recognition of general fire safety hazards) shall be conducted in conjunction with and under the same requirements as listed in Section 7 above. Section 9. Maps & Museum Layout *See following pages for maps and layouts of the main museum building. Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness Plan Page 5 of 8
Emergency Supply Kit & Fire Extinguisher Ground Floor (Office Level) N Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness Plan Page 6 of 8
Back Room Terrestrial Exhibit Middle Room Marine/Geology Exhibit Atrium Museum Store Ohlone Room Front Desk Fire Extinguisher N Emergency Supply Kit First Floor (Exhibit Level) Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness Plan Page 7 of 8
Amphitheater Meet Here Water Shutoff Valve Gas Shutoff Valve Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness Plan Page 8 of 8