CE experts offer shelter-in-place tips Published March 9, 2009 By 835th Civil Engineer Squadron RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- Shelter-in-place is a program implemented by the Air Force to be used in situations where evacuation is either not possible, where there is not adequate amount of time to do so, or it is not safe to be traveling on the roads. The whole idea behind it is to keep people as far away and as protected as possible from the hazard. Some examples of the hazards that would require sheltering-in-place could be: hazardous materials release, an improvised explosive device or bomb planted in a building or in a close vicinity to your building, or certain natural disasters such as tornadoes or hurricanes where travel is not encouraged. Of course, the best shelter-in-place plan is one that is put together before it is needed so that you're not scrambling to get things together and risking not having critical pieces you need. Here are some tips for picking an appropriate shelter within your facility or home, a list with some recommended supplies for your shelter, and a few other pieces of helpful knowledge. The first step is to pick your shelter. The room you pick should be the innermost room and have as few windows and doors as well to keep out as much of the hazard as possible. If you are in a multi-story building, the second or third floor is considered to be the optimum floor for your shelter. Once you have picked your room, now you need to stock it. You may tailor the list to your needs, but here are some suggested items to keep in good stock: -Sheets of pre-cut and labeled plastic for the doors, windows, and HVAC units in your shelter -Tape to hold the plastic up around the doors, vents, etc. -Towels to put under the doors as another preventative measure against the hazard getting in; recommend two towels per door. -Bottles of water to wet the towels before you place them under the door so that they absorb and hold the hazard; recommended 2 per towel depending on size of bottles. -Flashlights with fresh batteries for the flashlights. -First Aid Kit. -Radio with batteries so that you know what is going on throughout the time you are sheltered in-place and when you are allowed to leave the shelter safely. -A checklist listing procedures that should take place once the shelter has been activated. Once your kit is built, label it "Shelter-In-Place Kit" and place it in or immediately outside of the room you have identified as your shelter. Make sure that you check your kit periodically as sometimes things can go missing from them. If this happens, simply make note of which items are missing and replace them as soon as possible. Keeping a kit inventory with the supplies will help in these periodic checks as it will be easier than trying to remember what is supposed to be in there. The final step in the process is to ensure everyone knows where the shelter is -- make signs and post them throughout your facility with directions to the shelter if needed. If you have more than one shelter in your facility, make sure people know which one they are to go in the event they are activated. Bottom line, it's very important that individuals are familiar with SIP procedures. After completing all the steps to identify and stock your location, make sure you practice putting your plan into action. Run a few mock drills to see where your plan may need improving, and rework it accordingly. It's always better to work the kinks out now, then to have to pay for them during an emergency or crisis.