Taking Shelter in your Condo

One of the instructions you may be given in an emergency where hazardous materials may have been released into the atmosphere is to shelter-in-place. This is a precaution aimed to keep you safe while remaining indoors. (This is not the same thing as going to a shelter in case of a storm.) Shelter-in-place means selecting a small, interior room, with no or few windows, and taking refuge there. It does not mean sealing off your entire home or office building.

If you are advised by local officials to "shelter-in-place", you must remain inside your home or office and protect yourself there. The following steps will help maximize your protection:

• Close and lock all windows and exterior doors.
• Turn off all fans, heating and air-conditioning systems.
• If you are told there is danger of explosion, close the window shades, blinds, or curtains.
• Close the fireplace damper.
• Get your Condo Ark and make sure the radio is working.
• Go to an interior room that's above ground level (if possible, one without windows). In the case of a chemical threat, an above-ground location is preferable because some chemicals are heavier than air and may seep into basements even if the windows are closed.
• Bring your pets with you, and be sure to bring additional food and water supplies for them.
• Using duct or other wide tape, seal all cracks around the door and any vents into the room.
• It is ideal to have a hard-wired telephone in the room you select. Call your emergency contact and have the phone available if you need to report a life-threatening condition. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency.
• Continue to monitor your radio or television until you are told all is safe or are advised to evacuate.

People should choose a room in their office or home for their shelter. The best room to use for the shelter is a room with as few windows and doors as possible. A large room, preferably with a water supply, is desirable.

• For chemical events, this room should be as high in the structure as possible to avoid vapors (gases) that sink.
• For natural disasters such as hurricanes other severe weather, the shelter should be the lowest room that is available.

People might not be at home if the need to shelter in place ever arises, but if they are, it is good to have the following items on hand. 

• First aid kit
• Food and bottled water
• One gallon of water per person in plastic bottles as well as ready-to-eat foods that will keep without refrigeration should be stored at the shelter-in-place location. If bottled water no longer is available, water in a toilet tank (not the toilet bowl) is suitable for drinking
• Flashlight, battery-powered radio, and extra batteries for both
• Duct tape and scissors
• Towels and plastic sheeting
• A working telephone (Phones that have a plug in transformer may not work during a power outage)