Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
where employees, visitors, and guests may be accounted for. Depending
on the nature of the facility, an internal assembly area may be utilized in
lieu of an evacuation if it is deemed a safer alternative. This internal
assembly area should be the strongest room in the most secure area in the
facility that is as far from the effects of bomb blasts as possible and free
from the risk of secondary explosion.
The actual evacuation may be preceded by an upgraded security
condition, which will be in place once the Emergency Response Plan is
activated. In most instances there is ample time to communicate with
employees and prepare them prior to the order to evacuate. For example,
say anti-American demonstrators are conducting a protest outside your
facility. All of your employees are aware of the demonstrators' presence
because you have kept everyone informed, as is called for in the Emer-
gency Response Plan. At some point the demonstration turns violent. This
information is also immediately conveyed to the workforce. At that time
no evacuation has been called for. However, everyone knows what's going
on, and all team leaders have been given specific instructions pursuant to
the Emergency Response Plan of what to do if the situation deteriorates
even further. If the demonstration reaches the point where the safety of
the employees is being threatened, then a partial or full evacuation may
be ordered. If exiting the building would be too dangerous, personnel may
be directed to the internal assembly area.
Several situations will cause the emergency protocol to be initiated.
Car bomb attack, bomb threats, suspicious objects, physical attack, violent
demonstrations, natural disasters, and fire are all incidents significant
enough to trigger the emergency plan. Each of the situations will call for
a different response. For example, if a fire alarm is sounded or if smoke
is detected, a general evacuation will be ordered. The plan must also
establish specific procedures that must be followed prior to evacuation rel-
ative to securing vital documents containing classified information. In
case of fire, the immediate goal is the rapid removal of company person-
nel from the building. Unless specific exit points are blocked, the nearest
exits should be used, excluding the elevators. Other types of emergencies
may call for other specific measures or different routes of evacuation. Let's
suppose that a suspicious vehicle has been parked near the main exit. At
approximately the same moment, a bomb threat is phoned into the com-
pany, and the caller states the bomb will explode in 10 minutes. Obviously,
any route of evacuation that includes the exit adjacent to the suspicious
vehicle must not be used. In this case, an alternate escape route must be
