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Staff & Volunteer

Emergency Procedures

Handbook

                       

Dear Staff and Volunteers,

 

You are responsible for knowing the material in this booklet to the point where you can handle an emergency if it were to happen. In any emergency, our guests look to whomever is present in terms of staff and volunteers to be capable, calm, and prepared.

Be Prepared by knowing this booklet well. If you can’t memorized all the codes, don’t fret, but you know safety and emergency procedures to the point where your actions will come naturally. Your site should be kept safe, and you should look for ways in which guests could be injured or hurt and then do your best to alleviate the problem(s).

Be Calm when an emergency happens. Speak calmly, even if urgency is required. People are looking to you to be stable and aware. They need to trust you, and they will only trust you if you are calm and collected.

Be Neutral when an emergency or injury happens. You do not have the authority to say anything in behalf of the American West Heritage Center in terms of promising to take care of an injury, establishing blame on the Heritage Center or the victim, or making claims about who will pay for anything. You DO have the authority to remain calm, get help, and be concerned.

If we keep safety as our priority, we can avoid most injuries, but with thousands of visitors coming yearly to the Heritage Center, injuries will happen. We just need to practice good safety and emergency sense.

Emergency Preparedness

Procedures

The first step in handling injury is AVOIDING IT.

  1. Do consistent and regular “Safety Checks” on the attraction you are managing Some attractions need more—and perhaps even constant checking.
  2. If something is amiss, we close the attraction until it is fixed.
  3. If you need assistance fixing the attraction, please get hold of your supervisor.
  4. Each location must be equipped with necessary emergency equipment, or it must be easily accessible.
  5. You MUST know the nearest location of each of the following to the site you are managing:
  1. Fire Extinguisher
  2. Water, if fires are in use
  3. First aid supplies, if possible
  4. Accident report forms
  5. Evacuation Instructions/Map
  1. Send First aid problems to information booth. If in doubt, call your Lead or Supervisor.
  2. Any supervising staff person is responsible to insure accidents/incidents are handled properly and efficiently, that the involved party is properly taken care of, and that all paperwork is completed and delivered to the Director of Finance and Administration office immediately following an accident/incident, where possible, or within 24 hours.
  3. ALL STAFF must be educated on evacuation and accident/incident procedures.
  4. Any staff/volunteer accident that fails to be reported in a timely manner may disqualify one from receiving workman’s compensation or other assistance

 

Lost Child Procedures

In the event of a lost child or lost parents, do the following:

  1. Get as much information about the lost child as possible, including height, hair color, eye color, clothing, and weight.
  2. Contact your Supervisor or Lead.
  3. “CODE ADAM” by staff over managers radio
  4. Do NOT use the child’s name over the radio.
  5. Take the child to the predetermined location for lost children.
  1. The Information booth is always the site for lost children.
  1. Wait with the child until parents are found.

Accident/Incident Procedures

The following procedures should be followed in the event of any accidents or incidents involving bodily injury to persons or damage to property.

IMMEDIATELY:

If an injury occurs assess at least two things:

  1. Does the injury only require a bandage and a kiss? (if YES, then give them a bandage, but not the kiss, and send them on their way).
  1. The LEAD or SUPERVISOR should always be informed when this happens, and preferably should be the one providing first aid while the other staff goes back to their other duties.
  1. Might the injury require a physician’s attention? (If YES, then):
  1. Determine extent of injury or damage as quickly as possible.
  2. Call 911 if the victim’s immediate health, well-being or life is threatened. SERIOUS cases only!
  3. Do not attempt first aid, unless you have had the training. If you have, give urgent first aid when there is:
  1. Severe bleeding
  2. Stoppage of breathing where CPR would help
  3. For poisoning, call Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
  4. If possible, identify the poisonous substance and have this information ready when calling.
  1. Make the victim as comfortable as possible.  
  2. Secure the scene of the accident as much as possible to prevent further damage.
  3. Stay neutral. If an accident occurs, do not tell guests that it is the fault of the historic site or that the site will pay medical costs. You do not have authority to speak on behalf of the Heritage Center to place blame on the Heritage Center OR the victim. Such decisions take time and research.
  4. Keep the victim lying down.
  5. Elevate the victim’s feet to prevent shock, if possible.
  6. Protect the victim from unnecessary handling and disturbance.
  7. Use caution when placing blankets under or on the patient (there could be trauma to parts of the body or neck).
  8. Four basic life saving steps:
  1. Stop the bleeding (use a clean cloth and apply with enough pressure to stop the bleeding. Avoid making contact with the blood).
  2. Clear the air passageway (make sure the victim is breathing and throat is clear).
  3. Treat for shock/span> (elevate the feet 12 inches or so; keep the head and torso below the level of the feet).
  4. Treat the wound (if you can wait for qualified personnel, then make sure the above three steps are taken, then wait).
  1. All injuries should be treated seriously and courteously with lots of attention from staff to ensure that the injured feels cared for.
  2. Never tell visitors that an area is dangerous unless it is closed off or should be avoided. You do not have the authority to suggest that an activity or attraction is dangerous unless given permission to do so.
  3. Your Supervisor, with your help, should complete an Accident/Incident Report Form.  (Forms are available in the Welcome Center, as well as other main buildings on site determined by your Supervisor).
  1. Submit a copy of the form to the Director of Finance and Administration’s office in the Welcome Center as soon as completed. OR give it to your Supervisor.

 

 Fire Emergency Procedures

The gravest threat to a historic site is fire.  Not only do most structures contain large quantities of combustible materials, but both the site and the furnishings are unique and irreplaceable.

Fire Procedures:

  1. Get everyone out of the building or location immediately; have them proceed to the designated area.  Give instructions calmly but with authority.  Your main responsibility is the safety of the guests and staff.
  2. Notify the Site Director.
  3. Call or have an assistant call the fire department (911). Give correct details.  Remember where you are.
  4. If you will not endanger yourself, try to extinguish the fire.  Know where every fire extinguisher is located and the appropriate method of extinguishing different types of fire.

Fire Prevention:

  1. Smoking is not permitted onsite.  If you see someone smoking, make sure they dispose of the cigar/cigarette properly.
  2. Keep a close eye on the fires built in the Kitchen, House, and Shop.  Do not leave the building unattended while a fire is lit.  Have water on hand in case it is needed.
  3. There is a fire extinguisher in the Summer Kitchen, the House Pantry, the Shop and the main Pioneer Cabin.

AMERICAN WEST HERITAGE CENTER

TROUBLE ALARMS

Mountain Alarm will contact USU Dispatch when a trouble alarm has been activated.  When this occurs, dispatch will then need to follow the procedure below.

  1. Get the exact location of the trouble alarm.
  2. Determine if it is a false alarm.
  3. If there is a fire, take the Fire Emergency steps found in this booklet.
  4. Contact Supervisor.
  5. Contact Chance Getz •  (435) 230-4782 or Tommy Reck 435-760-0673.
  6. Mountain Alarm Central Station for a false alarm: 1-800-662-2512

 

Important Telephone Numbers

EMERGENCY Numbers

NON-Emergency Numbers

For all serious emergencies: When someone’s health and well-being are in immediate danger, life is threatened, or for large property damage such as major fire.

     911

Cache Valley Sheriff:

(435) 716-9400 (435) 750-7400

Logan Regional Hospital:

(435) 716-1000

Highway Patrol:

(435) 752-1110

Mountain Alarm       (for false alarms)

(887) 206-9141

Road & Weather:

(435) 716-9440

Front Desk

(435) 245-6050 ext. 0

Chance Getz

435-230-4782

Chris Clark

801-668-8640

Tommy Reck

435-760-0673

Dustin Jensen

435-730-0374

Andrew Andersen

(435) 770-7252

Karen Larson

435-757-4054 (For emergency only)

Chris Schultz

435-764-7355 (For emergency only)