Lockdown
Staff steps for sheltering in place at the facility, securing dogs, and clearing the building before resuming operations.
Purpose
The short version: if a lockdown is called, notify a manager, close everything up, get to the safe location for your campus, secure the dogs if you can, and don't resume normal operations until the building has been checked and cleared. Here's the full sequence.
At a Glance
- A lockdown means we're sheltering in place inside our facility for a safety issue.
- Notify a manager first if there's a safety issue that calls for a lockdown.
- Close all windows and doors before heading to the safe location.
- Cave Creek's safe location is the Lodgings rooms. Shea's safe location is the Staff Lounge or the Feed Room.
- Secure every dog in a kennel if time allows; clients may need to shelter with us too.
- Once the threat has cleared, the premises get checked before anyone resumes normal activity.
Immediate Actions
Notify a manager as soon as a safety issue comes up that requires a lockdown. Close all windows and doors before going to a safe place. The safest location depends on campus: at Cave Creek, it's the Lodgings rooms; at Shea, it's the Staff Lounge or the Feed Room.
Bring the dogs with you if time permits, though that isn't always practical. If you can't bring a dog with you, make sure it's secured in its kennel instead. Dogs that aren't currently in kennels, in Daycare, out training around the facility, and so on, need to be put into enclosures and secured as quickly as possible. Clients on-site may be required to participate in the lockdown alongside us.
Follow-Up Steps
Once the immediate threat appears to have cleared, a check of the premises has to happen before anyone exits or resumes normal operations. Delegate lockdown tasks so everyone knows exactly where they're checking. Areas to cover:
- All animal enclosure areas
- The security of the office
- Play areas, including a check of the roof and fencing for safety
- The entire perimeter of the outdoor fence, walked by at least one person, to confirm fencing and gates are secure
Each person checks their assigned area and reports back to the meeting area. Anyone not assigned to check waits in a safe location until the building's security is confirmed. If you find downed wires or smell gas anywhere on the property, stay in place, notify authorities, and don't leave the shelter unless police or fire tells you to. Contact the police or fire department at 911 for any of this.
Once the lockdown has fully ended, it's safe to resume normal operations. Before letting any dog back out, check each one for injuries it may have picked up during the lockdown and treat as needed.
Who to Ask
For the underlying emergency itself, downed wires, gas smell, or anything requiring police or fire response, that's 911.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do once I've finished checking my assigned area?
Report back to the meeting area. Everyone assigned a check reports back there, and the security of the building has to be confirmed before anyone not assigned to check leaves their safe location.
Do clients have to take part in a lockdown?
Yes, if they're on-site when one is called. Clients may be required to participate in the lockdown with us rather than being sent off on their own.
What if a dog can't be moved to a kennel before the lockdown starts?
Bring it with you if you can, that's the first choice when time allows. If it isn't practical to bring the dog along, get it secured in its kennel as quickly as you're able instead of leaving it loose.