• Are all stairways, including fire stairs, clear of boxes, books and debris?

• Is anything flammable stored in a stairwell? This includes paper, cloth, and cleaning supplies.

• Are all interior handrails securely attached to the wall?

• Are exterior steps in good condition, with handrails rigidly secured?

• Are exit signs, preferably lighted, posted at all exits?

• Do all exit doors have a crash bar, rather than a conventional door knob?

• Is the furnace room being used for general storage? If so, remove all flammable paper, cardboard, and wood items. Paint cans, varnish, turpentine, and other flammable should never be stored in a furnace room, nor should brushes and rags used to apply them.

• Is there a fire extinguisher on each floor? Have they been inspected this year? Are they the correct type for the materials at hand (i.e., paper fires, computer fires, chemical fires)? Have staff been trained in their use?

• Are there smoke-detectors on each floor of the building, and in the furnace room and attic? If they are not hard-wired, have their batteries been replaced recently? If the smoke-detectors are not wired to the fire station or other emergency service site, how would an after-hours fire be detected?

• Are financial, personnel and other vital records stored in a fire-resistant container?

• Is an evacuation plan showing major exits posted in each area of the building?

• Does each floor of the library have a second means of egress?

• Have you discussed emergency procedures with trustees and staff, including when and how police are to be called, and how to evacuate the building?

• Have you ever had a fire drill?

• Do electrical fuses "blow" frequently or has any electrical equipment mysteriously ceased to function? Particularly as we add computers, printers, or a microwave oven, electrical service may need to be upgraded.

• Is any library employee expected to work alone in the building when the building is open? If so, what measures have been taken to protect the employee?

• Is there a dead bolt on any door? If so, it should not be possible to lock it with a thumb lever. There should be a key, which is hidden, not kept in the lock. The objective is to avoid having an assailant lock the door, then victimize a staff member.

• Have bushes and trees grown up around an entrance to such an extent that an assailant could hide in them to await a victim?

• Is outdoor lighting sufficient, especially on the path from the building to the staff and public parking areas?

• Consider convex mirrors to make "hidden" interior corners visible from staff areas.

• If you collect fines, the money box or cash register drawers should be out of public view.

• Do all staff know the location of electrical and water shut-off valves?

• Consider a "panic button" hard-wired to the police station or other emergency service site, especially if one person is ever alone in the building during service hours.

• Does a bookdrop open into the library building? If so, it should be encased in fireproof materials and, preferably, sprinklered. Consider replacing it with a freestanding bookdrop, away from the building.

BLT Administration/Disaster Planning 10/98

EMERGENCY SUPPLIES

Brooms, dustpans, mops, squeegees, buckets

Plastic garbage bags

Paper towels

Plastic (polyethylene) sheeting (store with heavy duty tape and scissors or utility knives)

Flashlights with batteries

First aid kit

Snow shovels

Credit card or established credit line at a supermarket/Wal-Mart type store

If you have an electrical phone system, have a "regular" phone on band for back-up.

Have these or know where you could obtain them in an emergency:

Cardboard boxes and plastic crates

Tissue paper, blotting paper, unprinted newsprint

Waxed paper

Labels, tie-on tags, notebooks, pencils, marking pens, waterproof pens

Nylon fishing line or clothesline, and clothespins

Cat litter

Toolbox, loaded with the basics

Camera and film (and batteries) -- consider a Polaroid. A videocamera?

Battery-operated radio (and batteries)

Vacuum cleaner, wet-dry vac

Generator

Dehumidifier

Fans

Heavy duty extension cords

Extra dollies, book carts

Detergents (low sudsing), disinfectants, fungicides

Water hose

Protective clothing such as rubber boots, rubber gloves, hard hat, face masks, plastic aprons

Portable lighting

Cellular phone/car phone

"Caution" or "Hazard" tape

Blanket

Bottled water

Extra set of keys