Emergency Action Plan
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Ahead of the Event
At all events, some preparation work will save everyone hassle and time in the case of an emergency or other unexpected situation. First and foremost, the parties who will be responsible to take action should be identified well ahead of time - and those responsible parties should be familiar with the event site and as many people on site as possible. The Autocrats are a decent default for this job, and Mooneschadowe has expressed a willingness to add that responsibility to the job. The topic may be revisited with future incidents. In the meanwhile, the following steps may be taken ahead of an event to set us up for the best possible outcome of an unexpected occurrence:
- The Autocrats should make contact with the Royal Herald to establish a "hi sign" so they may be heralded into Court to advise the Crown of the situation. Both parties should understand that the Autocrats will not use this sign lightly.
- Clear lines of travel should be maintained between the open areas and the Main Hall, especially in high-traffic locations (ie the Listfield). We may want to start advising campers at our events to do so as well.
- Tell Gate that if they should have to leave their post in a rush, proper money storage considerations hold: the money goes one place and the paperwork goes somewhere else. All else can be abandoned (after non-battery lights are attended to).
- The Autocrats are the decision-makers in case a situation arises that requires the assistance of the Emergency Services.
- Remember: The wider-spread an incident gets, the more paperwork there is to do! Let's keep everything low-key and friendly where at ALL possible.
- Deputize someone to monitor a Weather Service resource! It may be the right answer for the home group to invest in a NOAA severe weather radio ($35 to $50) we would get the most up-to-date weather warnings from the National Weather Service. For a less expensive option they also make NOAA weather radio aps for those fancy phones.
Emergency Services
Cleveland 24-Hour Emergency Room:
- Phone:(918) 358-2501
- Address: 1401 w. Pawnee St, Cleveland, OK
- Directions: Take Highway 64 toward Cleveland. Turn North (left) on S. Swan Rd. Turn East (left) on W. Pawnee St.
- Link: Cleveland Area Hospital
Routine Considerations
Waterbearing is set up for the hydration of all. Hydration is key to preventing heat exhaustion and other exposure-related maladies. And good hydration makes people happier to be around, too!
Heat-Related Maladies
- Ask the Kitchen to use the ice machine
- Ask the Kitchen to use the walk-in cooler
- Use the Hall at your discretion - it may be warmer in there from lack of a breeze
- Contact the Chiurgeon in Charge
- Advise the Autocrat of the situation
Personality-Related Conflicts
- Try to offer solutions you are authorized to follow-through on (namely, your personal resources)
- Keep the situation quiet - do not involve others arbitrarily
- Find the Autocrat(s) and Seneschal to mediate and offer solutions
- Let the Autocrat/Seneschal ask for help upline (NR officers are the next line of defense)
Dangerous Weather
At Triumphe, this will often take the form of rain storms with strong winds, and may come up faster than anyone expects. If the weather threatens Court, the Autocrats will be responsible to intervene through proper channels, advise the Crown (or Their representatives) of the plan, and have the Herald make the announcement.
Things to Do
- Corral smalls in a designated area so parents can find their kids. We tried using a back room last time, with some success - but maybe by the fireplaces would work better. Whichever fireplace is further from where Court set-up is happening.
- Drop pavilions. They don't need to be unstaked, just drop the uprights flat to the ground. This will prevent tear on the ropes and stress points in the canvas.
- Extinguish all non-battery (or electric) light.
- Personal tents may be advised to be dropped, and bedding moved to the Main Hall. The Admin Building may also potentially be used (depending on who/how many are staying in there).
- Scout for other dangers.
- Arrange the Hall to resume Court. Plan to resume in 20-30 minutes.
Storm-Safe Locations
This site doesn't have a good "storm shelter" in case of an actual tornado. So far that hasn't been a problem. But here are some points to consider:
Main Hall Rooms:
- Main Hall - This is our first, best bet in inclement weather. But! It has lots of windows on two (long) walls. This is NOT a recommended place to shelter if the storm looks to have Tornadic levels of activity.
- Kitchen - Some windows, counters will get in the way of maximizing occupancy.
- Walk-In Coolers, Dry Goods Storage - Enclosed rooms without windows. Low occupancy. If the freezer is turned on, you won't want to use it for shelter!
- Back Storage Room - Windows, some clutter to prevent it from holding a very high occupancy.
Shower House Rooms:
- Shower House - This building has a completely enclosed hallway running down the center, with all concrete walls and heavy doors.
- Each shower and toilet enclosure has concrete walls and heavy outside doors. These rooms may be able to shelter small groups during tornadoes.
Other Buildings:
- Admin Building - Big, central room, with windows.
- Health Lodge - Small, not much room to spare, windows on two or three sides. Often occupied by the Royals who will, likely, fill the space at their own discretion.
- Cook's Cabin - Small, not much room to spare, windows on three sides. Often occupied by the Feast Stewards who will, likely, fill the space at their own discretion.
- Nature Building - Out by the Fort (old Archery range). Will probably be locked if we haven't arranged with the Ranger to use it.
Tornadoes
Camp-Specific Amenities include:
- The emergency bell outside the hall
- Possibly a tornado shelter over by the RV hookups
- Possibly a PA system (connections in the Admin building, I think)
If nothing else, if caught outside during a tornado, it is best to lie down in a ditch or low-lying area, face-down, with your hands behind your neck. It may be the right answer to keep an eye out while routinely hiking the site for such a place to shelter.
Fire
The odds of a fire affecting our event are very low - but we do often run this event in the middle of a burn ban. Prevention is key for fires. We use enclosed-propane and battery-operated lighting for burn-ban events.
In case a fire does happen:
- Get bystanders out of the way
- Send a runner for the Autocrat(s)
- Figure out what caused it.
- If it's just grass, any ADULT should be okay to put it out quickly.
- Regardless of what else happens Ranger Roger MUST be included in the loop. Not only is he the site ranger, but he's also a firefighter.
Burn Ban
Link to the Oklahoma Forestry Department's Burn Ban map:
