Emergency Building Coordinator Program

PURPOSE

The Emergency Building Coordinator program was established to coordinate the emergency preparedness and planning efforts among all BYU departments and buildings. Emergency Building Coordinators serve as an extension of Emergency Management in an emergency.

Campus buildings are typically occupied by multiple departments. This can make building-wide communications difficult during normal operations, let alone during an emergency. The Emergency Building Coordinator program serves to assist Emergency Management by developing a common, building-wide plan of action for emergencies that threaten life safety.

The Emergency Building Coordinator program recruits individuals to assist with an evacuation in the event of a drill or an emergency, as well as, to direct shelter in place or secure in place actions, if safe to do so. They work with Emergency Management to disseminate pertinent emergency preparedness information and plans throughout their building. In addition, they provide emergency responders and incident management personnel with a single, knowledgeable point of contact who can assist in contacting appropriate departmental personnel in the event of an emergency.

Members of this program also facilitate emergency preparedness in their building by leading and coordinating the Emergency Preparedness Task Force for their assigned building.

CONCEPT

The Emergency Building Coordinators work directly with Emergency Management staff. One individual is selected to represent a specific building on campus as the Emergency Building Coordinator for that building. This individual would be a member of the specified building community by having a job or position that requires them to spend the majority of their work hours in the building. They provide a direct link from the specified building to Emergency Management.

If the building is large enough or contains specialized areas, Floor and/or Area Marshals may be needed. Floor and/or Area Marshals report to the Emergency Building Coordinator and support the Emergency Building Coordinator by being a knowledgeable point of contact for a specific area or floor. They also relay pertinent emergency information to individuals located in a specific area, and assist the Emergency Building Coordinator during emergency drills and incidents.

To ensure that each department within a building receives important emergency communications and is able to share valuable information regarding their individualized processes, the Emergency Building Coordinator may establish the Emergency Preparedness Task Force.This group is specific to the designated building and comprised of one individual from each department located within that building.

EMERGENCY BUILDING COORDINATORS

An Emergency Building Coordinator and the alternate Emergency Building Coordinator (EBC) must have a general understanding of building activities. It is preferable the Emergency Building Coordinator be a full-time employee who works in the building during normal operational hours and can volunteer their time to serve for at least two (2) years. Emergency Building Coordinators must be willing to be a point of contact and provide leadership for the building during emergency events, as well as, evacuation drills. The alternate Emergency Building Coordinator is responsible for assuming the duties of the Emergency Building Coordinator during their absence. Specific responsibilities include:

Provide multiple forms of contact, including methods reachable outside normal business hours
Serve as the point of contact for safety and emergency preparedness information; receive and monitor emergency communications as provided; and distribute relevant information throughout the building
During an evacuation, shelter in place or secure in place situation, serve as the point of contact to coordinate information to and from emergency responders, Emergency Management, and/or other campus administrators.
Serve as the chair for the specified buildings’ Emergency Preparedness Task Force
Coordinate the development and maintenance of the building emergency plans in conjunction with the Emergency Preparedness Task Force
If needed, coordinate the recruiting and training of the Building Floor Marshals
Work alongside the alternate Emergency Building Coordinator to assume duties in the event the primary person is unavailable.
Coordinate with the campus fire marshal on required fire drills for the building.
Attend trainings as required

FLOOR MARSHALS

Floor Marshals are preferably full or part-time employees that provide leadership to personnel on their floor or in their assigned area in the case of an emergency or fire alarm. Floor Marshals should have a presence in their assigned floor or area during normal business hours, or normal operational hours, and have a general understanding of the activities that occur there. The responsibilities of a Floor Marshal may include:

During an evacuation, guide occupants out of the building, area or floor in an orderly manner to a pre-designated Emergency Assembly Point (EAP).
Perform a visual sweep of the area as they evacuate.
Report the status of the evacuation, including individuals who may be trapped, disabled, injured, or refusing to evacuate to the Emergency Building Coordinator.
Close any open doors encountered as exiting and knock loudly on closed doors, informing occupants to evacuate.
Assist in securing building entrances and denying re-entry until authorities determine that it is safe to enter.
In the event of a shelter in place or secure in place situation, direct appropriate actions for building occupants, if safe to do so.

Area Marshals: If a building has areas that require special access or requires specific safety measures that need to be accounted for, an Area Marshal could be designated for those specific areas. Please contact Emergency Management for assistance.

Please remember that personal safely is of the upmost importance. Emergency Building Coordinators and Floor Marshals should not put themselves at risk. Rather, they should note any issues during evacuation and report them to the Emergency Building Coordinator or emergency response personnel after they have safely evacuated the building.

Emergency Building Coordinators and Floor Marshals will be provided with a vest, for ease in identification, along with other emergency supplies.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TASK FORCE

The Emergency Preparedness Task Force is specifically designed for buildings that are comprised of more than one department. The Emergency Preparedness Task Force is composed of one representative from every department that occupies a specific building on campus. Each of the departmental representatives shall act as a liaison between their department and the Emergency Preparedness Task Force. If a department occupies space in more than one campus building, the department will then have multiple Emergency Preparedness Task Force representatives serving on their respective buildings’ teams. The responsibilities of the Emergency Preparedness Task Force include:

Meet, at a minimum, annually to develop and maintain the building emergency plans (more frequent meetings are recommended).
Recommend individuals for Emergency Building Coordinators when a replacement is needed.
Recommend individuals for the alternate Emergency Building Coordinator when a replacement is needed.

TRAINING

Emergency Building Coordinators and Floor Marshals have access to training and other resources to prepare them to provide a sense of direction and assistance to others during emergencies. Training is important in ensuring coordinators are always up-to-date on best practices for emergency preparedness and life safety. Training may include:

Intro to Emergency Building Coordinator and Floor Marshal Training
CPR and AED Training
Stop the Bleed Training
Fire Extinguisher Training
Active Shooter Training
Psychological First Aid
Local Weather Hazards
Annual Emergency Building Coordinator Training
Other training as needed