Emergency and Safety Policies and Procedures

Potential emergencies in the Hastings Memorial Library may require the occupants to evacuate the building.  The following information and procedures have been designed to help ensure your personal safety, should an evacuation become necessary.

Fire Emergency

Alert patrons of the emergency and escort them from the library to a safe area across the street from the library building. Once you have evacuated all staff, patrons, and volunteers call Emergency Services at 911 to report the fire.  Do not re-enter the building until it is deemed safe to do so by emergency services personnel.

Severe Weather Emergency

During Tornado Season, people are at risk for injury should a tornado affect the Grant area. Tornadoes can form any time of the year, but the tornado season typically runs from March to August. The library has an abundance of windows. The library is committed to ensuring the safety of staff, volunteers and patrons by establishment and enforcement of customary tornado precautions.

Definitions:

A tornado watch is issued by the National Weather Service when tornadoes are possible in your area. Remain alert for approaching storms.

A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar.

Policy:

It is the policy of the library to notify all staff, volunteers and patrons of the status of tornado warnings and watches and to assure that precautions are taken to assure the safety of individuals while on the library premises.

Procedure:

When a Tornado Watch for the Grant area is received, preparations should be made for taking action required during a Tornado Warning:

1. Staff should alert all people in the building library (staff, patrons, and volunteers) that a Tornado Watch is in effect.
2. People are notified that should this become a Tornado Warning (a tornado has been sighted), patrons and staff will be asked to move to designated safe areas until an all clear has been issued.
3. Patrons are to be advised that they should seek safety off the library premises if they do not intend to move to the safe areas of the building if and when a Warning is issued.
4. Staff must make sure flashlights can be located easily and be in readiness to move to the safe areas.

When a Tornado Warning for the Grant area is received:

1. The senior staff member in the building is to notify everyone in the library (all staff, volunteers, and patrons) that they are to move to the safe areas of the building.
2. The senior staff member will walk the library area to be sure everyone is accounted for.
3. Patrons in the building are advised they must go to the designated safe areas or seek safety off the library premises. Grant City Hall, located one block south of the library is a designated Tornado Shelter.

Designated Safe Areas:

When a Tornado Warning has been received for the Grant area, all patrons, staff, volunteers, and others must move to either the kitchen or the bathrooms. These are the most interior rooms of the building that are relatively free of glass and other potential debris.

Grant does operate a tornado siren in the event of a Tornado Warning, and the siren is audible in the Library. When the siren is heard, people in the library must take cover in the designated areas.

Emergency Situations

An emergency situation can be defined as any situation in which a person’s actions present an imminent danger to the life or safety of him/herself, others, or to library property. Such incidents may include assault and other crimes of violence, or the threat or attempt to commit such crimes. Call the police immediately if such behavior should occur.  If you feel that your life is in danger, leave the building and call 911.