Emergency Preparedness at Unity Church
Emergency Evacuation Drill
Sunday, March 23, after each service! At the close of each service on Sunday March 23, we will practice an evacuation drill together. Everyone in the building will evacuate with no stops for personal belongings. After evacuating, meet at House of Hope Park across Grotto Street on the west side of the building. This keeps us the required 100 feet away from the building. How will we find the exit? Exit signs, staff and volunteers will be in each hallway directing the way out. How will our children evacuate? Teachers and helpers will accompany children out of the building. Nursery personnel and other helpers assigned to the nursery will carry children out of the building as needed. Please meet your children at House of Hope Park. Do not go to the lower level to retrieve children as this blocks the exits and delays evacuation. How will people with mobility challenges evacuate? Please help people who need assistance. Do not use the elevator! Instead, you can find evacuation chairs on the upper level next to the drinking fountain across from the Anderson Library and on the lower level by the purple fire doors. How will the evacuation drill end? We will sweep the building to ensure everyone has evacuated. When we sound the all-clear, you can return for your personal belongings, coffee, and fellowship. What if the weather is awful March 23? We will reschedule for Sunday, April 6. What else should we know? The fire alarm is very loud and comes with flashing strobe lights to catch everyone’s attention. How else can we help make this fire drill a success? Quietly notify people who come into the Sanctuary after the announcement at the beginning of each service about the drill. Help visitors find exits. Additional questions? Contact Laura Park at [email protected]. Thank you for your cooperation! |
How would you respond if we had to evacuate the church in response to a fire, a gas leak or a bomb threat? What is the protocol if there’s a medical emergency, or if a person is demonstrating inappropriate behavior? Where would you go if there was a tornado? These are just some of the questions that our Emergency Preparedness Team (EPT) at Unity has discussed over the past years.
The EPT developed an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) which offers guidelines and procedures in the event of an emergency. We purchased additional first aid kits, AED defibrillators and evacuation chairs for the church. We identified weather shelters within the church, and evacuation paths should we need to get out. We created a response structure for staff and volunteers to effectively respond, and practiced these procedures. Most emergency situations have a low probability of happening, but if they were to happen, the impact would be high. Our best protection is to be prepared! We encourage you to read our Emergency Action Plan. If you have questions, would like to participate in a training or are interested in joining the EPT, contact Laura Park. |