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Emergency Planning
Campaigns are encouraged to implement a plan for the continuity of operations in the event of an emergency. This may include instructions on responding to a fire or medical emergency, delegation of authority in such emergency situations, and how to protect computer data. A model plan, created by the CFC of the National Capital Area, is shown below for your reference. Personal contact information has been omitted.
CFCNCA
Emergency Procedures and Continuity of Operations Plan
Updated May 17, 2005
This document is designed to prepare staff and volunteers for emergencies and interruptions of operations. It provides procedure to protect lives and critical assets, and short- and long-term contingencies to ensure continuity of operations. In the event of a crisis in the Washington area, it is essential that CFCNCA continues to operate because our communities may be even more dependent on the charities that we fund. Any one of us may be one of those needing help from our charities.
Emergencies for Fire Department, Police or Ambulance: 911
Property Management: (202) 628-5599
Main Security Desk: (202) 659-1387
Floor Warden: Neil Glick (direct): (202) 465-7224
Office Main Number: (202) 465-7231
Office Voicemail: (202) 465-7272
Global Impact
(703) 548-2200
66 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 310
Alexandria, VA 22314
In the event of an emergency or unexpected disruption of our operations, one of the CFCNCA Strategy Team will contact you. If you have not heard from the team in a timely manner attempt to contact Tony De Cristofaro first, then move down the list in the order given. Please respect the privacy of the team members and use their home and personal cell phones only for emergency purposes, not routine matters.
Procedures for Overnight or Weekend Emergencies
Should an emergency situation occur overnight, the head of the Strategy Team, or another member in his absence, will contact all staff and volunteers overnight with any important instructions. All Strategy Team members will have a copy of home, cell and e-mail information available to them at all times.
If the office is inaccessible, staff and volunteers should remotely change their voice mail greetings to reflect that, and to check for messages regularly. Call 202-465-7272 to access voice mail; press the star key your extension is the last four digits of your telephone number. If the building is going to be accessible for more than a day, the main office number and Help Desk will be forwarded to Global Impact offices in Alexandria.
E-mail is accessible remotely at https://mail.charity.org/exchange/. Your username and password is the same as the ones you use in the office. The online Manage system is accessible outside the office at http://manage.cfcnca.org/.
Staff and volunteers should not return to the CFCNCA offices without explicit instructions from the Strategy Team. In the event that the building is inaccessible for a significant period of time, alternate office space will be arranged. This may be space at Global Impact offices in Alexandria or space provided by GSA.
If we are evacuated from the building, first and foremost, follow the instructions of emergency personnel and police authorities. If possible, we will meet on the sidewalk outside Au Bon Pain, located at 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. In the event that Pennsylvania Avenue is closed, Farragut Square will serve as the alternate meeting space. If neither area is accessible, proceed to a safe place and contact one of the Strategy Team.
The building fire alarm system is monitored 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Fire Department response is minutes away. Safety systems meet or exceed all related building and fire codes.
Smoke and heat detectors, as well as overhead sprinkler systems, provide immediate response to any significant fire. An automatic alarm is initiated whenever water flows through the overhead sprinklers. There are manual pull stations located in all hallways adjacent to fire exit stairwells and smoke detectors are strategically located throughout the building. Each of these also activates the fire alarm system in the space affected, at the main electrical/main fire room, the Main Security Desk, and also the monitoring station.
On any fire alarm activation, all air handling equipment within the building shuts down completely, and the stairwell pressurization fans are activated. Key property management personnel carry two-way radios at all times, and building operations personnel are trained to assist in any emergencies.
As building occupants, we are encouraged to participate in fire drills. Drills are conducted on a periodic basis.
Floor Wardens will alert their area occupants that a fire drill is in progress and advise them to proceed to their assigned exit stairwell and await further instructions.
Once the area is searched and it is determined that all have heard and understood the evacuation directive, participants should proceed down the stairwell as directed by the Floor Warden and exit the building. There are two stairwells on our floor. The stairwell next to the women’s restroom leads to the lobby; the stairwell next to the men’s restroom leads to the alley.
Everyone should then be accounted for as we leave our floor. Provision should be made to assist any physically challenged persons to safety. Proceed to the predetermined meeting area unless instructed otherwise.
The exercise will be observed by the Emergency Response Team and deficiencies noted. The Emergency Response Team is made up of building personnel and tenant volunteers. This team will usually be the first response team to arrive at the scene. If a fire is small and conditions do not pose an immediate personal threat, the team will contain or extinguish the fire using extinguishers. If the fire is too intense, the team will control its spread by closing doors and await the arrival of the Fire Department.
- Rescue anyone in immediate danger.
- Close – but do not lock – all doors behind you, especially the door to a burning room.
- Pull the Manual Fire Alarm by the nearest exit stairwell. To operate, pull down the fingertip lever marked “Pull In Case Of Fire”. This will activate alarms throughout the building.
- Call the Fire Department. Dial 911. Tell the operator the building address and floor location of the fire, its type and severity. This information will be relayed to the firefighters en route.
- Call Property Management. Outside regular building hours (7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), your call will be received by an answering service that will immediately contact the appropriate building personnel.
- If the fire is small and you have been trained in extinguisher use, you may use the Class “A” extinguisher near the exit stairs to attempt to contain the fire.
- Alert your Floor Warden. Floor Wardens have been trained in emergency response. Follow their instructions.
750 17th Street is equipped with a Gamewell Fire Alarm System. Once activated, the alarm will sound throughout the building and an entire building evacuation will be necessary. During the evacuation, please remember to follow these procedures:
- Remain calm. Proceed to nearest stairwell.
- Close doors but do not lock them. Take only essential belongings with you. Keep your hands free.
- Follow instructions of your Floor Warden. You may be asked to inspect the area or to help others.
- Proceed down the stairs to exit the building. Keep to the right to avoid firefighters who may be coming up the stairs on their right.
- Walk quickly; do not run, remove high-heeled shoes. Use the handrails. Do not smoke. Help stop the spread of rumors and faulty information.
- Do not use the elevators. If you are in an elevator when the alarm sounds, do not push the emergency button. Elevators will automatically return to the main lobby to await firefighters. They will not respond to hall calls once an emergency signal is received.
- Feel doors for heat before opening them. Do not open any that are hot.
- If you are disabled, await help from your designated Aide or wait near the exit stairwell doors.
- If you are trapped by smoke, keep the door shut and seal the crack under it with cloth. Call the Fire Department (911) to report your location. If you are able to move towards the exits, stay low – the coolest air is near the floor. Take short breaths through your nose.
- If you are working outside regular building hours (7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) and you hear the alarm anywhere in the building, be prepared to leave when the alarm sounds and the strobe lights are flashing. Building and Emergency personnel will not necessarily realize that you are on the premises.
- Please do not call the Property Management Office or the Main Security Desk if you hear the fire alarm. Building personnel will be busy trying to determine the nature of the emergency, and will not be able to answer your questions. These calls may waste precious time, which could jeopardize your safety.
- Once the emergency situation has been resolved, the alarm will be silenced, and you will be able to return to your office. Security will advise tenants outside of the building to return to their offices as well.
- Do not move the person. If necessary and if you have been certified, administer first aid.
- Call Paramedics. Dial 911. Tell them the building address, floor and suite number and direct the medical team to the front door. You may be asked to describe the condition of the victim.
- While awaiting medical help, keep the person warm and comfortable.
- Call Property Management. They will hold an elevator ready for the emergency medical team. Outside regular building hours (7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) your call will go directly to the Main Security Desk. If a private physician has been called, please let them know and the doctor will be escorted to your office.
- Post one person at the elevator lobby on our floor to lead the medical team to the person in distress.
In the event of other emergencies, such as terrorist attacks using conventional and unconventional weapons, follow the instructions of the Floor Wardens whether to retreat to other sections of the floor of the building. If instructed to evacuate the building, after leaving follow instructions from law enforcement or other emergency personnel.
After evacuation, staff and volunteers should not return to the CFCNCA offices without explicit instructions from the Strategy Team.
Typically the Chair of the LFCC and the President of Global Impact are the media spokespersons for the organization. If needed, they could designate another individual to respond to media inquiries. If members of the news media contact us directly for comment on any emergency situation, the Executive Director will determine coordinate with Global Impact and the chair of the LFCC. In the event that the President & CEO and the LFCC Chair are not available, it will be the responsibility of the strategy team to prepare a comment, in coordination with management at Global Impact in Alexandria. All other employees are instructed not to comment.
Global Impact should be notified as soon as is practicable of any emergency or disruption of CFCNCA operations. It will be the responsibility of the Strategy Team, beginning with Tony De Cristofaro, to contact an officer at Global Impact in the following order:
Renée Acosta, President and CEO – (703) 717-5200 (Main);
Steve Ristow, Chief Operating Officer – Same numbers as on first page
Tom Tobin, Vice President, Development
A current listing of the LFCC and their contact information is attached should we need to inform them of a change in operating procedures or other emergency information. Renée Acosta, President and CEO of Global Impact, or Steve Ristow, Chief Operating Officer, Global Impact, will contact the LFCC in the event of an emergency or sudden disruption of CFCNCA operations. In their absence, Tony De Cristofaro will be responsible for contacting the LFCC, or in his absence a member of the CFCNCA Strategy Team in the order given.
The LFCC shall be contacted in the following order:
- Vince Micone, Chairperson
- William Gillers, Vice Chairperson
- Other members as necessary
LFCC contact information is at the end of this document.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, all Americans should begin a process of learning about potential threats so we are better prepared to react during an attack. While there is no way to predict what will happen, or what the circumstance will be, there are simple things we can do now to prepare in the event something occurs during the work day.
In the supply room closest to the Executive Director’s office (“Supply Room”), we have basic emergency supplies – a flashlight, battery-powered radio, extra batteries, toilet articles and duct tape. These items are stored on a shelf to the right when you enter the room. In the kitchen there is a first-aid kit and medicines above the sink, and heavy-duty plastic garbage bags in the cabinet below the sink. The duct tape and garbage bags can be used to seal windows and doors. We have food and bottled water to sustain us for a short period of time. One bottle of water is in the kitchen, and more bottles are stored in the alcove next to the left the conference room by the reception area. A supply of energy bars is stored in the Supply Room.
The DC government is also offering a free text messaging emergency system as part of their emergency preparedness effort. The alert system allows you to pick alerts for DC neighborhoods (including schools) at https://textalert.ema.dc.gov/. The DC Text Alert system uses the Roam Secure Alert Network to provide immediate notification and update information during a major crisis or emergency. This system delivers important emergency alerts, notifications and updates to a range of devices including your:
- E-mail account [work, home, other]
- Cell phone
- Pager, Blackberry
- Wireless (Palm, iPAQ, etc.)
When an incident or emergency occurs, authorized DC Emergency Management personnel can rapidly notify you using this community alert system. DC Text Alert is your personal connection to real-time updates, instructions on where to go, what to do, or what not to do, who to contact and other important information.
It is the personal responsibility of every employee to protect essential data files to ensure continuity in the event of a serious disruption of operations. All laptops are configured for the “My Documents” folder to be synchronized to a network drive, providing automatic backups. Staff and volunteers should back up any other computer data files to their personal network drives, or place important documents on the CFCNCA shared drive. In no case should essential data files reside only on a local drive or detachable media. The Global Impact MIS/IT director backs up our computer system daily and keeps the tape in a safe location outside of this office. There is also another backup that is done on a monthly basis, which is kept offsite in a lockbox.
Staff members who do not have personal computers at home are encouraged to take their laptops home with them on a daily basis to provide access to e-mail and data files in the event that the office is inaccessible.
The following are the essential functions that must be performed by staff to ensure continuity of the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area:
- Unaffiliated Charity Application Process – February through April
- Notify charities via Web site and e-mail
- Recruit volunteers
- Receive and review applications
- Organize and prepare applications for Technical Advisory Committee
- Recruit Loaned Executives – May through August
- Train Loaned Executives – August, September
- Train Campaign Managers (Leadership Conference) – September
- Train Key Workers – September, October
- Monitor campaign performance and results – October through December
- Campaign supplies and logistics – August though December
- Administer Speakers Bureau – July through December
These functions must be planned for and executed, regardless of location of CFCNCA offices. There are other ancillary activities and events not listed here, such as recognition events, that that could be postponed or eliminated when operating under this contingency.
To ensure rapid response to any emergency situation, if the CFCNCA Executive Director is unavailable, a deputy director will assume full responsibility for Continuity of Operations plan implementation, in this order: 1) Edith Parrish; 2) Terry Carter.
If neither deputy director is unavailable, responsibility will fall to an associate campaign director, in the following order:
- George Young (Floor Warden)
- Al Rotundo
- Neil Glick
- Amin Cyntje
The person with delegation of authority will work closely with and receive direction from the Global Impact President and CEO and Vice President, Chief Operating Officer.
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U.S. Office of Personnel Management 1900 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20415 | (202) 606-1800 | TTY (202) 606-2532