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Buffalo
County, Nebraska >
Local Emergency
Planning Committee
Shelter-in-Place
What
is Shelter-in-Place?
 In
a situation where a serious hazardous chemical spill has quickly
caused a toxic atmosphere, it may be more dangerous to go
through those toxic vapors or to attempt to outrun them than
to stay in an existing structure. Shelter-in-Place
means to get to the inside of a building and remain there
during a chemical emergency rather than attempting to evacuate
the area. Shelter-in-Place
is a viable option for protection against exposure to potentially
dangerous airborne chemicals during an emergency.
Why
Should I Shelter-in-Place?
During
a hazardous materials incident, the idea is to keep everyone’s
exposure to any chemical as low as possible. It is best to
get out of the area and have no exposure, but in a sudden
chemical release there may not be time to safely evacuate.
In such cases, attempts to evacuate could place you at greater
risk of exposure than if you had stayed in your home or workplace.
Shelter-in-place is used when there has been a serious hazardous
chemical spill that has quickly caused a toxic atmosphere
and there is not enough time to safely leave the area. When
you shelter-in-place, you take protective action in a structure
to reduce exposure to toxic chemical levels. So, unless
otherwise instructed to evacuate, sheltering-in-place could
be the best way to safely wait out a hazardous chemical release.
How
safe is it to Shelter-in-Place?
In
a 2001 report by The National Institute for Chemical Studies,
several studies were cited that demonstrate the value of sheltering-in-place
during a chemical emergency. In older homes, the average
house was found to change its air at a rate of less than 1/3
change per hour. It was also found that if one room in the
house was sealed up with duct tape and plastic, the amount
of chemical that was in the room after one hour was between
1/7 to 1/17 of what was outside. Another study found that
sealing up a house also filtered out some of the chemicals.
Not only did a sealed up house limit the amount of air coming
into a house, the walls actually did some filtering of the
air that seeped in. Sheltering-in-place cannot completely
eliminate all exposure to the chemical, but it can keep the
exposure below dangerous levels.
The
report concluded: “For the vast majority of events that have
led to the public to shelter-in-place, there have been no
reported injuries. In fact, for a very few cases, clouds
of toxic materials of sufficient concentration to cause harm
have entered communities and, because sheltering-in-place
has been accepted by the community and was successfully implemented,
no one was injured. The body of evidence suggests that
if there is insufficient time to complete an evacuation, or
the chemical leak will be of limited duration, or conditions
would make an evacuation more risky than staying in place,
sheltering-in-place is a good way to protect the public during
chemical emergencies.”
When
should I Shelter-in-Place?
A
hazardous materials accident can occur anywhere. There may
even be a time when you are close to where a chemical accident
has taken place. If you feel or hear a strange sound
like an explosion; if you see a strange cloud; if you smell
a strange odor; if you feel nauseous or have burning or tearing
eyes; trust your senses, don’t wait for a warning confirmation
and act immediately. If it is obvious that you can safely
evacuate the area, do so, but remember shelter-in-place as
the next option.
IN BUFFALO COUNTY MONITOR:
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KGFW/KQKY |
1340
AM |
105.9
FM |
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KKPR |
1460
AM |
98.9
FM |
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KHGI-TV
(NTV) |
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Channel
13 |
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NOAA
weather radio |
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162.475 |
If
there is a chemical release in Buffalo County, the emergency
alert system will be utilized. The outdoor warning sirens
will sound to alert the public to turn on a radio or television
for further emergency information.
Where
do I Shelter-in-Place?
If
you are told to shelter-in-place or if you believe you need
to, you should go inside any building close by immediately.
If you are not by your own house, a church, school, or store
are good options. If you are not near any buildings, your
car is a better choice than staying outside. Your home is
the best choice to shelter-in-place because you will know
where tapes, towels, plastics and other items are located
to help you create your shelter space.
How do I Shelter-in-Place?
- Close
all doors to the outside and close and lock all windows
(windows sometimes seal better when locked.)
- Ventilation
systems should be turned off so no outside air is drawn
into the structure.
- Turn
off all heating systems and all air-conditioners and switch
inlets to the “closed” position.
- Seal
any gaps around window type air-conditioners with tape and
plastic sheeting, wax paper, or aluminum wrap.
- Turn
off all the exhaust fans in kitchens, bathrooms and attics,
and cover the openings with plastic wrap or plastic sheeting.
- Close
all fireplace dampers and seal with plastic if possible.
- Close
as many internal doors as possible in the structure you
are in.
- Pick
a room on the highest level of the structure, as most of
the chemicals that are of concern are heavier than air and
will settle in the basement.
- Select
a room in the building that is comfortable and easy to seal
off. The room should, if possible, provide access to water,
toilet facilities, and have adequate room for people and
pets to sit.
- If
the vapor begins to bother you place a wet cloth over your
nose and mouth. For a higher degree of protection, go into
the bathroom, close the door and turn on the shower in a
strong spray to “wash” the air. Seal any opening to the
outside of the bathroom as best you can.
- Make
sure you have a battery-powered radio and a flashlight in
case the power goes out.
- Once
in the room, seal windows, air vents, and exhaust fans with
plastic sheeting and duct tape.
- In
some homes, light switches and electrical outlets on outside
walls are sources of air infiltration and should also be
sealed with duct tape and plastic.
- Lastly,
seal around the door with duct tape. If the space under
the door is too big to seal with tape, try stuffing a damp
towel under the door.
- Continue
to listen to the radio or TV for emergency information and
updates on the incident.
- Don’t
call 911 unless you have an emergency like a fire or a serious
injury.
- Keep
your phone available in case someone needs to contact you.
What
if I can’t make it to a building?
If
you can get to your car, go there. Turn off the ventilation
system, close your windows and vents, and tune your radio
to a local station. If you are driving, try to avoid driving
through a vapor cloud and try to drive crosswind. If you
are in a chemical cloud, be aware that your car may stall.
If your car stalls or was not running when enveloped by the
cloud, DO NOT try to start it unless told to do so by a public
announcement on the radio.
If
you are outside and not close to a building, such as being
on a golf course or in a rural area, try to move crosswind.
The vapors may drift downwind for miles and unless there is
no wind at all you will not be able to outrun them. Going
perpendicular to the wind, away from the center of the cloud
will get you to a less harmful atmosphere quicker.
How
will I know when it is safe to come out?
As
soon as it is deemed safe, authorities will tell you it is
safe to leave your building.
Disaster Supplies to have on
hand:
- Flashlight
and extra batteries
- Portable
battery-operated radio
- Duct
tape and plastic sheeting & wrap
- Games
and toys to occupy children
- First
aid kit and essential medicines
- Emergency
food and water
SPECIAL
NOTE: SHELTER-IN-PLACE DOES NOT APPLY TO FLAMMABLE GASES SUCH
AS PROPANE AND NATURAL GASES.
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