Remember: You are ultimately responsible for your own well-being. It is completely up to you to know how to help yourself!

• Know the potential threats and hazards in your work area
• Be familiar with the emergency procedures for your department for each potential threat
• Familiarize yourself with where the panic buttons are in your office, or ask your department’s Safety Officer to show you where they are and how to operate them
• Know the location of and how to use emergency equipment in your work area – Panic Buttons; PA System; Automatic Electronic Defibrillators (AED); Fire Pull Stations; Fire Extinguishers; First Aid Kits, etc
• Know the possible evacuation routes, gathering areas, and/or safe zones for each of the potential threats in your work area. Department Heads need to instruct and demonstrate where the gathering points are
• Understand your roles and responsibilities in your department’s Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
• Educate yourself on how to protect yourself, coworkers, and others
• Watch the Run, Hide, Fight video below

CodeRED:

Register with the CodeRED Wireless Emergency Notification System to receive emergency notifications by recorded message, text message, and/or email. The CodeRED Wireless Emergency Notification System is used for emergency alerts regarding evacuations, sheltering in place, weather conditions, etc. Depending on your settings you will receive a recorded call, text message, and/or email when an alert is issued and the nature of the emergency. Download the mobile app to receive notifications of emergencies based on your location. Please take a moment to verify, update, or register the appropriate information to begin receiving emergency notifications by clicking here.

Notify Me!

Visit the Notify Me! page by clicking here and sign up for notifications via email or text. The notifications you receive from Notify Me! will pertain only to the local area and Gunnison County.

Facility Dude Safety Center:

Safety Center is a system that is used to house all of the safety plans and can be easily accessible by all County employees.

• Download the app to your smartphone
• Access the app store on your smartphone, search for Safety Center app, and install
• Or, if you have a QR code reader on your smartphone you can scan one of the codes below to locate the app in the store and then install

• 

• Create an account
• Upload your department’s safety plan

PA System:

There is a “Page-All” button on all County phones. When this button is pushed, it will activate all other phones in your building.

When you push the button:

• State clearly what the emergency is and where it is located
• Speak clearly and concisely
• Refer to the appropriate tab within this guide for instructions on the appropriate threat (Active Aggressor, Evacuation, Fire, Lockout/Lockdown, etc.)

PANIC BUTTONS

Panic Buttons are installed at various locations throughout the County buildings.

Familiarize yourself with where the panic buttons are in your office or ask your department’s Safety Officer to show you where they are and how to operate them.

• What/Where: The Panic Buttons will either consist of 2 Red Buttons, a single white/tan button, or a white flip open button type. They are located just under the desktop at your work station
• How To Activate: To activate, the button needs to be depressed. For stations with red buttons, both buttons need to be depressed simultaneously
• If possible call 9-1-1 to provide further information on the situation
• What Happens When Activated:
• An automatic message is sent to Superior Alarm and they notify Gunnison Dispatch
• Law Enforcement will respond to your location
• The main doors in your building will automatically lock into "Lockdown" mode which will prevent the public from entering the building but still allow people to exit
• The building will remain in “Lockdown” until emergency personnel arrive and confirm that the situation is stable 

Accidental Activation of a Panic Button

In the event of an accidental activation of a panic button, Don't Panic!. Follow the below steps if you are aware that you accidentally activated the panic button.

• Notify the Gunnison Dispatch by dialing 8201 on your phone. Provide them with the following information
  • Your Name
  • Building Location & Department
  • Your Extension
  • That the Panic Button activation was accidental
• Next using the paging button on your phone, notify your building that a Panic Button was accidentally activated and there is no issue
• An officer will still arrive on scene to verify there is no threat and clear the building, provide any assistance or answer any questions they may ask
• Once the office has given the all clear, call 3901 on your phone to have the Lockdown of the building removed

Lockout

Lockout is used to secure the inner perimeter when the threat of danger is outside of the County building. No one moves into or out of the building until the situation is resolved. EVERYONE REMAINS BEHIND LOCKED DOORS.  DO NOT OPEN YOUR DOOR FOR ANY REASON.

Lockdown

Lockdown is used to protect the building’s occupants from potential dangers inside the building or external threats that enter the building. EVERYONE REMAINS BEHIND LOCKED DOORS.  DO NOT OPEN YOUR DOOR FOR ANY REASON.  The situation is unstable and the risks are too great to have anyone moving about the building or departments until Law Enforcement arrives to assist in the assessment of the incident.

Procedures for lockout and lockdown are the same:

• You are going to be advised by an announcement from either the PA system, CodeRED notification, Facility Dude’s Safety Center app, or an emergent situation to lockdown/lockout
• Activate your panic button
• Remain in your office/department
• Close your blinds, cover windows and turn off your lights
• Move out of sight of all doors and windows
• Keep quiet
• Put your phones on silent
• Ignore fire alarms & Evacuate only when instructed to do so
• Do NOT open your doors for anyone or any reason

The lockout/lockdown will only be terminated when emergency personnel unlock the doors and inform you it is safe to leave the area.

Active Aggressor

PUSH YOUR PANIC BUTTON and use the PA system on your desk phone to warn others in the building. If the aggression is not in your suite/location, call 9-1-1.

If you hear an emergency broadcast over the PA system, activate your Panic Button, and call 9-1-1.

Run. Hide. Fight!

Run!:

• If there is a safe escape path, attempt to evacuate
• Evacuate whether others agree to accompany you or not
• Leave your belongings behind, except your cell phone if you can safely reach it
• Help others escape if possible
• Prevent others from entering the area
• Call 9-1-1 when you are safe

Hide!:

• Lock and/or blockade the doors
• Silence your cell phone
• Hide behind a large object
• Close your blinds, cover windows, and turn off lights
• Move out of sight of all doors and windows
• Remain very quiet
• Do NOT open your doors for anyone or any reason
• When Law Enforcement arrives, they will announce themselves; please confirm with Dispatch (641-8200 ext 1) before opening the door

Fight!:

• Attempt to incapacitate the aggressor
• Act with physical aggression
• Commit to your actions

View the Run! Hide! Fight! Video

Active Aggressor Presentation Slides

To view the presentation slides click here.

Fire:

• Remain calm
• Activate the fire alarm via a pull station
• Call 9-1-1, preferably from a mobile phone outside of the building in safety
• Follow the established evacuation procedures for fires
• If the fire is small, call 9-1-1 first, and then attempt to put it out with a fire extinguisher, if you can do so safely. Use the P-A-S-S method:
  • Pull the pin in the handle
  • Aim it at the base of the fire
  • Squeeze the nozzle
  • Sweeping motion
• Never allow the fire to come between you and an exit path
• If you are unable to extinguish the fire, evacuate by the nearest emergency exit
• Touch closed doors with the back of your hand prior to opening them. If it is hot or smoke is visible do NOT open that door, seek another exit path
• If the door is cool, exit carefully
• If there is smoke, crouch near the floor upon exit
• If there is fire, close doors and windows (do not lock the doors) to help contain the fire
• NEVER USE AN ELEVATOR DURING A FIRE EVACUATION
• Evacuate down stairs, or as a last resort to the roof
• Do not re-enter a building until authorized by emergency personnel
• In the event that you cannot get out of the room you are in safely, call 9-1-1 and inform them of your location
• Place towels or clothing underneath the door to prevent smoke from entering

Handling Suspicious or Hazardous Mail

UNOPENED Letter or Package:

• Leave it where it was found and do not disturb it further
• DO NOT clean up any spilled material
• Note shape and color of package
• Note RETURN ADDRESS on package if possible without disturbing/touching the package
• Isolate the area by clearing it of other people, notify your supervisor, and call 9-1-1
• Advise the 9-1-1 dispatcher where you will meet the first responders. It is critical that you relay all package information to the first responders

OPENED Letter or Package:

• Leave it where it was found, and do not disturb it further
• DO NOT clean up any spilled material
• Note shape and color of package
• Note RETURN ADDRESS on package
• Do not move the package
• If holding the package carefully place the package in the trash can. Otherwise, place the package on a table or shelf
• If the material is on your skin or clothing, notify your supervisor, another employee or passerby. Stay Where You Are if safe to do so
• Call 9-1-1 or ask someone else to do so. It is critical to provide as much information to the dispatcher as possible
• If unsafe to stay with the package
  • Leave the building via the nearest exit
  • Wait near that exit for instructions from your supervisor or emergency personnel
  • Stay away from people
• The purpose of these procedures is to protect you, your coworkers, and the public by minimizing cross contamination and further contamination of the building

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

Safety:

If you and/or others are not in a safe place (fire, aggressor, toxic gas, etc.), make your location safe, or move yourself and others to a safe location. If available, wear protective gloves. Call 9-1-1.

Mental Status:

If the person you are trying to help is not awake, see if he/she responds to shouting or pinching. If there is no response, skip to CPR below.

Bleeding:

• Put pressure on the wound with whatever is available to stop or slow down the flow of blood
• If the bleeding is severe call 9-1-1 as soon as possible or ask someone else to do it
• Keep pressure on the wound until help arrives

Broken Bone:

• Encourage the person to support the injury with their hand, or use a cushion or items of clothing to prevent unnecessary movement
• If the injured area is obviously deformed, significantly painful, or the person needs to be moved, call 9-1-1 or get someone else to do it
• Make sure the injury is supported until help arrives

Burns:

• Cool the burn under cool running water for at least 10 minutes
• If the burn requires further medical care, loosely cover the burn with plastic wrap or a clean plastic bag. Otherwise it does not need plastic covering
• If necessary call 9-1-1 or get someone else to do it
• If the burns are large or extensive ensure the person is kept warm

Choking:

• If an adult or child:
  • Hit them firmly on their back between the shoulder blades five times to dislodge the object followed by five quick abdominal thrusts
• For infants under one year:
  • Keep their head lower than the chest, supporting their head and neck
  • Then give five back blows between the shoulder blades and five chest thrusts, center of the chest between just below the nipple line
• Repeat this until the object is forced out or the infant can be heard crying
• Call 9-1-1 for altered level of consciousness, voice changes, if significant maneuvers to clear the airway are required, or if you are concerned

Seizure:

• Do not restrain them
• Use something like a blanket or clothing next to their head to protect it from injury.
  • DO NOT place under their head. Placing items under their head may compromise their airway
• After the seizure, help the person to rest on their side with their head tilted back
• If necessary call 9-1-1 or get someone else to do it

CPR:

• Airway:
  • Check breathing by tilting their head backwards and looking and feeling for breaths
• Compression:
  • Push firmly downwards in the middle of the chest and then release
  • Push at a rate of 100 compressions per minute, until help arrives
  • Let the chest rise completely before pushing down again

Information provided by Gunnison Valley Hospital EMS and the official American Red Cross First Aid app.

NIMS & ICS

In 2006, the Gunnison County Board of County Commissioners adopted the National Incident Management System, (NIMS) via Resolution 2006-17.

Classes can be taken online by clicking on the hyper links below. If you prefer an in-person "classroom style" course, please contact Emergency Management.

• Intro to the National Incident Management System - NIMS 700
• Intro to the Incident Command System - ICS 100

FEMA Professional Development Series

The Professional Development Series includes seven Emergency Management Institute independent study courses that provide a well-rounded set of fundamentals for those in the emergency management profession. Many students build on this foundation to develop their careers. For those interested in continuing education and professional development in Emergency Management, consider taking independent study courses in the FEMA Professional Development Series by clicking here.

Stop the Bleed Training

Stop the Bleed training will be provided in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Nov 15^th and Dec 5^th. See the below link to the flyer with additional information and a link below where to register.

• Flyer (PDF)
• Click here to register